Comparison of the episodes “Chichikov at Nozdryov’s” and “Chichikov at Korobochka. Essay “Meeting of Chichikov with Nozdryov in a tavern”

In the fall of 1835, Gogol began working on “Dead Souls,” the plot of which, like the plot of “The Inspector General,” was suggested to him by Pushkin. “In this novel I want to show, although from one side, all of Rus',” he writes to Pushkin. Explaining the concept of “Dead Souls,” Gogol wrote that the images of the poem are “in no way portraits of insignificant people; on the contrary, they contain the features of those who consider themselves better than others.” Explaining the choice of the hero, the author says: “Because it’s time, finally, give rest to the poor virtuous man, because the word “virtuous man” is idly on the lips; because they turned a virtuous man into a horse, and there is no writer who would not ride him, urging him on with a whip and with anything else.” This tirade, most important for Gogol, ends accordingly: “No, it’s time to finally hide the scoundrel too. So, let’s harness the scoundrel!” These words spoken about Chichikov can be applied with the same confidence to the landowner Nozdryov.

This is a “jack of all trades” man. He is carried away by drunken revelry, riotous fun, and card games. In the presence of Nozdryov, not a single society could do without scandalous stories, so the author ironically calls Nozdryov a “historical person.” Chatting, boasting, lying are his most typical traits. According to Chichikov, Nozdryov is a “trashy person.” He behaves cheekily, insolently and has a “passion to spoil his neighbor.”

Village idleness and life without worries led to the degradation of man, and he turned into a dangerous, arrogant hooligan. A gambler, gossip, drunkard and rowdy, Nozdryov is extremely typical of Russian noble society. Drunken revelry and hunting are Nozdryov’s favorite and natural pastimes. On his ruined estate, only the kennel is in excellent condition. Among the dogs, “Nozdryov was... just like a father among the family.” The hero’s language is clogged with all sorts of distorted words, absurd expressions, swear words, and alogisms. The portrait of Nozdryov is complemented by his surname, consisting of a large number of consonants, creating the impression of an explosion. In addition, the combination of letters evokes an association with the hero’s favorite word “nonsense.”

Chichikov is the complete opposite of Nozdryov. He is solid, positive, at least in ideas about yourself, about your future. This is a man of new times, a businessman and acquirer, and has everything necessary qualities: “...and pleasantness in turns and actions, and glibness in business affairs,” and at the same time he is an adventurer, a scoundrel and a hypocrite, whose true face is reliably covered with a mask of secular politeness and good manners. Our hero pacifies his blood, which “played strongly,” and gets rid of human feelings almost completely. The idea of ​​success, enterprise, and practicality overshadow many human motives in him.

Chichikov knows how to adapt to any microcosm, even appearance The hero is such that he will fit into any situation: “not handsome, but not bad-looking either,” “neither too fat, nor too thin,” “middle-aged man” - everything about him is vague, nothing stands out. Chichikov's appetites for life are not excessive like Nozdryov's; he tries to be moderate in everything. But money for Chichikov is not a means, but an end in itself. All thoughts and feelings of this person are subordinated to one thing - the desire to become rich at any cost. In implementation cherished dream he demonstrates such qualities as perseverance, resourcefulness, and thirst for activity. All these qualities could be called positive if the goals were different.

Nozdryov is active completely without a goal and constantly craves entertainment.

Despite the complete opposite of characters, it is Nozdryov who guesses about Chichikov’s essence, because he himself is a scoundrel. "But you big swindler, let me tell you this out of friendship! If I were your boss, I would hang you from the first tree,” Nozdryov joyfully yells. Chichikov, unlike Nozdryov, is a “cute scoundrel”; despite everything, he evokes sympathy with his optimism, his ability not to fall into despair and to look for a way out of any situation.

CHAPTER FOUR

Arriving at the tavern, Chichikov ordered to stop for two reasons. On the one hand, to give the horses a rest, and on the other hand, to have a few snacks and refreshments. The author must admit that he is very envious of the appetite and stomach of this kind of people. For him, all the gentlemen of great hands who live in St. Petersburg and Moscow, who spend time thinking about what to eat tomorrow and what kind of dinner to create for the day after tomorrow, and who start this dinner only after putting a pill in their mouths, mean absolutely nothing to him; swallowing oysters, sea spiders and other miracles, and then going to Carlsbad or the Caucasus. No, these gentlemen never aroused envy in him. But gentlemen of the average class, that at one station they will demand ham, at another suckling pig, at a third a piece of sturgeon or some kind of baked sausage with onions and then, as if nothing had happened, they sit down at the table at any time you want, and sterlet ear with burbot and sizzles and grumbles with milk between their teeth, devoured by pie or kulebyak with catfish spread, so that the appetite of others is taken away - these gentlemen, for sure, are taking advantage of the enviable gift of the sky! More than one gentleman of great hands would immediately sacrifice half the souls of the peasants and half of the estates, mortgaged and unmortgaged, with all the improvements to a foreign and Russian foot, just to have the kind of stomach that a gentleman of average hands has; but the trouble is that no amount of money, less than an estate, with or without improvements, can buy the kind of stomach that a middle-class gentleman has.

The darkened wooden tavern received Chichikov under its narrow, hospitable canopy on carved wooden posts, similar to ancient church candlesticks. The tavern was something like Russian hut, several in larger size. Carved patterned cornices of fresh wood around the windows and under the roof brightly and vividly colored its dark walls; Jugs of flowers were painted on the shutters.

Climbing up a narrow wooden staircase into the wide entryway, he met a door opening with a creak and a fat old woman in colorful chintz, who said: “Please come here!” In the room there were all the old friends that everyone comes across in small wooden taverns, of which there are many built along the roads, namely a frost-covered samovar, smoothly scraped pine walls, a triangular cabinet with teapots and cups in the corner, gilded porcelain eggs in front of icons hanging on blue and red ribbons, a cat that had recently lambed, a mirror that showed four eyes instead of two, and some kind of cake instead of a face; finally, bunches of fragrant herbs and carnations were stuck near the images, dried to such an extent that those who wanted to smell them only sneezed and nothing else.

Do you have a piglet? - Chichikov asked this question to the standing woman.

With horseradish and sour cream?

With horseradish and sour cream.

Give it here!

The old woman went digging and brought a plate, a napkin so starched that it stood on end like dried bark, then a knife with a yellowed bone block, thin as a penknife, a two-pronged fork and a salt shaker, which could not possibly be placed directly on the table.

Our hero, as usual, now entered into a conversation with her and asked whether she herself runs the inn, or is the owner, and how much income does the inn give, and whether their sons live with them, and whether the eldest son is single or married man, and what kind of wife he took, whether with a large dowry or not, and whether the father-in-law was pleased, and whether he was angry that he received few gifts at the wedding - in a word, he didn’t miss anything. It goes without saying that I was curious to find out what kind of landowners were in their area, and found out that there were all kinds of landowners: Plotin, Pochitaev, Mylnoy, Cheprakov-Colonel, Sobakevich. "Ah! Do you know Sobakevich?" - he asked and immediately heard that the old woman knew not only Sobakevich, but also Manilov, and that Manilov would be more delicate than Sobakevich: he would order the chicken to be cooked immediately, and he would also ask for the veal; if there is lamb liver, then he will ask for lamb liver, and will just try everything, and Sobakevich will ask for one thing, but he will eat it all, and even demand a supplement for the same price.

When he was talking in this way, eating a pig, of which there was already the last piece left, the sound of the wheels of an approaching carriage was heard. Looking out the window, he saw a light chaise pulled by three good horses stopping in front of the inn. Two men got out of the chaise. One blond tall; the other is a little shorter, dark-haired. The blond one was in a dark blue Hungarian jacket, the dark one was simply in a striped arkhaluk. From a distance another carriage was dragging along, empty, pulled by some long-haired quadruplet with tattered collars and rope harness.

The fair-haired one immediately went up the stairs, while the dark-haired one still remained and felt something in the chaise, talking right there with the servant and at the same time waving to the carriage driving behind them. His voice seemed somewhat familiar to Chichikov. While he was looking at him, the blond man had already found the door and opened it. He was a tall man, with a thin face, or what is called shabby, with a red mustache. From his tanned face one could conclude that he knew what smoke was, if not gunpowder, then at least tobacco. He politely bowed to Chichikov, to which the latter responded in kind. In the course of a few minutes they would probably have started talking and getting to know each other well, because the beginning had already been made, and both almost at the same time expressed pleasure that the dust along the road had been completely washed down by yesterday's rain and now the ride was cool and pleasant, as his dark-haired comrade entered, throwing his cap off his head onto the table, bravely ruffling his black thick hair with his hand. He was of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns. It was fresh, like blood and milk;

his health seemed to be dripping from his face.

Where did you go? - said Nozdryov and, without waiting for an answer, continued: - And I, brother, am from the fair. Congratulations: you're blown away! Can you believe that you have never been so blown away in your life? After all, I came to the philistines! Look out the window on purpose! - Here he bent Chichikov’s head himself, so that he almost hit the frame with it. - You see, what rubbish! They dragged me so hard, the damned ones, I already climbed into his chaise. - Saying this, Nozdryov pointed his finger at his comrade. - Haven’t you met yet? My son-in-law Mizhuev! He and I talked about you all morning. “Well, look, I say, if we don’t meet Chichikov.” Well, brother, if you only knew how screwed I am! Would you believe that he not only killed four trotters, he lost everything. After all, I have neither a chain nor a watch on... - Chichikov looked and saw for sure that he had neither a chain nor a watch on. It even seemed to him that one sideburn was smaller and not as thick as the other. “But if there were only twenty rubles in my pocket,” Nozdryov continued, “no more than twenty, I would win back everything, that is, except for what I would win back, that’s how fair man

, I would put thirty thousand in my wallet now.

However, you said so even then,” the blond man answered, “and when I gave you fifty rubles, I immediately squandered them.”

And I wouldn’t waste it! By God, I wouldn’t have squandered it! If I hadn’t done something stupid myself, I really wouldn’t have squandered it. If I hadn’t forgotten the password on the damned seven, I could have lost the whole bank.

However, he didn’t pick it off,” said the blond one.

I didn’t pick it because I folded the duck at the wrong time. Do you think your major plays well?

Eka importance! - said Nozdrey, - this way I’ll beat him too. No, if he tries to play with a doublet, then I’ll see, I’ll see then what kind of player he is! But, brother Chichikov, what a ride we had in the first days! True, the fair was excellent. The merchants themselves say that there has never been such a congress. Everything I brought from the village was sold at the best price. Eh, brother, what a party! Now even when you remember... damn it! that is, what a pity that you weren’t there. Imagine that a dragoon regiment was stationed three miles from the city. Do you believe that there were as many officers as there were, forty officers alone were in the city; how we started drinking, brother... Captain-Captain Kisses... so nice! such a mustache, brother! He simply calls Bordeaux a burdashka. “Bring it, brother,” he says, “the boogers!” Lieutenant Kuvshinnikov... Oh, brother, what a lovely man! Now, one might say, he is a reveler in all his form. We were all with him. What wine Ponomarev gave us!

You need to know that he is a swindler and you can’t take anything from his shop: all sorts of rubbish is mixed into the wine: sandalwood, burnt cork, and even elderberry, the scoundrel, rubs in;

but if he pulls out a bottle from the back room, which he calls special, - well, brother, you’re simply in the empyrean.

We had such champagne - what's the governor's champagne next to it? just kvass.

Imagine, not Clicquot, but some kind of Clicquot-Matradura, that means double Clicquot. And he also took out one bottle of French called bonbon. Smell? - socket and everything you want. They had such a great time!.. After us, some prince arrived and sent us to the shop for champagne, there wasn’t a single bottle in the whole city, all the officers drank. Would you believe that I alone drank seventeen bottles of champagne during dinner!

“Well, you can’t drink seventeen bottles,” the blond man remarked.

“As an honest man, I say that I drank,” Nozdryov answered.

You can tell yourself whatever you want, but I’m telling you that you won’t even drink ten.

Well, you want to bet that I’ll drink!

Why bet?

Yes, you would be without a gun, like without a hat. Eh, brother Chichikov, that is, how I regretted that you were not there. I know that you would not have parted with Lieutenant Kuvshinnikov. How well you and him would get along! This is not like the prosecutor and all the provincial misers in our city, who are shaking for every penny. This one, brother, can go to galbik, and to banchishka, and to whatever you want.

Eh, Chichikov, why should you come? Really, you're a sucker for this, you cattle breeder! Kiss me, soul, death love you! Mizhuev, look, fate has brought us together: what is he to me, or what am I to him? He came from God knows where, I live here too... And how many carriages there were, brother, and it was all en gros1. He played his fortune: he won two jars of lipstick, a porcelain cup and a guitar; then he put it down again once and scrolled through the channel for another six rubles. And what, if only you knew, the red tape of Kuvshinnikov! He and I went to almost all the balls. One was so overdressed, there were ruffles on her, and truffles, and God knows what was missing... I just thought to myself: “damn it!” And Kuvshinnikov, that is, he is such a beast, sat down next to her and in French gave her such compliments... Would you believe it, he didn’t let simple women pass by. He calls this: taking advantage of the strawberries. They brought wonderful fish and balyks. I did bring one with me; It’s good that I thought of buying it when I still had money. Where are you going now? 1 in large quantities

(French)

“And to the little man,” said Chichikov.

Well little man, leave him! let's ride in me!

No, you can't, there's a matter.

Well, that's it! I just made it up! Oh you, Opodelok Ivanovich!

Really, it’s a good thing, and a necessary one at that.

I bet you're lying! Well, just tell me, who are you going to?

Well, to Sobakevich.

Here Nozdrey began to laugh with that ringing laugh that only a fresh, healthy person bursts into, whose teeth are all white as sugar, their cheeks are trembling and jumping, and the neighbor behind two doors, in the third room, jumps up from his sleep, eyes wide and saying: “Eck, he was taken apart!”

What's so funny? - said Chichikov, partly dissatisfied with such laughter.

But Nozdryov continued to laugh at the top of his lungs, saying:

Oh, have mercy, really, I’ll burst out laughing!

But you won’t be happy with life when you come to him, it’s just a Jew! After all, I know your character, you will be cruelly taken aback if you think you will find a small bottle and a good bottle of some bonbon there.

Listen, brother: well, to hell with Sobakevich, let's ride in me! what kind of balyk I’ll serve! Ponomarev, the beast, bowed like that and said: “Only for you, the whole fair,” he said, “search the whole fair, you won’t find anything like that.” The rogue, however, is terrible. I said this to his face: “You, I say, are the first swindlers with our tax farmer!” Laughs, the beast, stroking his beard. Kuvshinnikov and I had breakfast every day in his shop. Oh, brother, I forgot to tell you: I know that you won’t leave now, but I won’t give it up for ten thousand, I’ll tell you in advance. Hey Porfiry! - he shouted, going up to the window, at his man, who was holding a knife in one hand, and in the other a crust of bread with a piece of balyk, which he was lucky enough to cut off in passing, taking something out of the chaise. “Hey, Porfiry,” Nozdryov shouted, “bring the puppy!” What a puppy! - he continued, turning to Chichikov. - Stolen, the owner did not give it for himself. I promised him a brown mare, which, remember, I traded with Khvostyrev... - Chichikov, however, had never seen either a brown mare or Khvostyrev.

Master! would you like to have something to eat? - the old woman said at that time, approaching him.

Nothing. Eh, brother, what a party! However, give me a glass of vodka; which one do you have?

Anisovaya,” answered the old woman.

Well, let’s have anise,” said Nozdrey.

Give me a glass too! - said the blond one.

There was one actress in the theater who sang like a canary! Kuvshinnikov, who was sitting next to me, “Here,” he says, brother, “I wish I could use the strawberries!” There were, I think, fifty booths alone. Fenardi spent four hours turning the mill. - Here he accepted a glass from the hands of the old woman, who bowed low to him for that. - Oh, give it here! - he shouted when he saw Porfiry come in with the puppy. Porfiry was dressed, just like the master, in some kind of archaluk, quilted with cotton wool, but a little more oily.

Come on, put it here on the floor!

Porfiry put the puppy on the floor, which, stretched out on all four paws, sniffed the ground.

Here's a puppy! - said Nozdryov, taking him by the hand and raising him. The puppy let out a rather pitiful howl.

“You, however, didn’t do what I told you,” said Nozdryov, turning to Porfiry and examining the puppy’s belly, “and didn’t think about combing it?”

No, I brushed him out.

Why are there fleas?

You lie, you lie, and you didn’t even imagine scratching; I think he’s a fool, he let his own people in too. Look, Chichikov, look at the ears, feel them with your hand.

Why, I already see: a good breed! - answered Chichikov.

No, take it on purpose and feel your ears!

To please him, Chichikov felt his ears, saying:

Yes, it will be a good dog.

And your nose, do you feel how cold it is? take it in your hand.

Not wanting to offend him, Chichikov grabbed him by the nose, saying:

Good instinct.

A real little face,” Nozdryov continued, “and, I admit, I’ve been sharpening my teeth on the face for a long time.” Here, Porfiry, take it to me!

Porfiry, taking the puppy under his belly, carried him into the chaise.

Listen, Chichikov, you must definitely go to me now, five miles in total, we’ll get the hang of it, and then, perhaps, you can go to Sobakevich.

“Well,” Chichikov thought to himself, “I’ll really go and see Nozdryov. Why is he worse than others, he’s the same person, and he’s also lost. beg for something."

“If you please, we’re going,” he said, “but we can’t delay too much, time is precious to me.”

Well, soul, that's it! This is good, wait, I’ll kiss you for this. - Here Nozdryov and Chichikov kissed. - And great: the three of us and we’ll go for a ride!

No, please let me go,” the blond man said, “I need to go home.”

Nonsense, nonsense, brother, I won’t let you in.

Really, the wife will be angry; Now you can transfer to their chaise.

No, no, no! Don't even think about it.

The blond man was one of those people in whose character, at first glance, there is some kind of stubbornness. Before you even have time to open your mouth, they are already ready to argue and, it seems, will never agree to something that is clearly opposite to their way of thinking, that they will never call a stupid person smart and that in particular they will not agree to dance to someone else’s tune; but it will always end with the fact that their character will turn out to be soft, that they will agree to exactly what they rejected, they will call stupid things smart and then go off to dance in the best possible way to someone else’s tune - in a word, they will start as a smooth surface and end up as a viper.

Nonsense! - said Nozdryov in response to some kind of statement from the blond man, put a cap on his head, and the blond man went after them.

They didn’t pay for the vodka, master... - said the old woman

Oh, okay, okay, mother. Listen, son-in-law!

please pay. I don't have a penny in my pocket.

How old are you? - said the son-in-law.

“Why, father, just two kopecks,” said the old woman.

“Not enough, master,” said the old woman, but she took the money with gratitude and ran in a hurry to open the door for them. She was not at a loss, because she asked for four times what the vodka cost.

The visitors sat down. Chichikov's chaise was driving next to the chaise in which Nozdryov and his son-in-law were sitting, and therefore all three of them could freely talk to each other as they continued the road. Following them, constantly lagging behind, was Nozdryov's small carriage on skinny philistine horses. Porfiry was sitting in it with a puppy.

Since the conversation that the travelers had among themselves was not very interesting for the reader, we will do better if we say something about Nozdryov himself, who, perhaps, will not have the chance to play at all last role in our poem.

Nozdryov’s face is probably already somewhat familiar to the reader. Everyone has met many such people. They are called broken fellows, they are reputed even in childhood and at school for being good comrades, and for all that they can be beaten very painfully. In their faces you can always see something open, direct, and daring. They soon get to know each other, and before you know it, they’re already saying “you.” They will make friends, it seems, forever: but it almost always happens that the person who has become friends will fight with them that same evening at a friendly party. They are always talkers, revelers, reckless people, prominent people. Nozdryov at thirty-five was exactly the same as he was at eighteen and twenty: a lover of a walk. 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. However, the children were looked after by a pretty nanny. He could not sit at home for more than a day. His sensitive nose heard him several dozen miles away, where there was a fair with all sorts of conventions and balls; in the blink of an eye he was there, arguing and causing chaos at the green table, for, like all of them, he had a passion for cards. At cards, as we have already seen from the first chapter, he did not play completely sinlessly and purely, knowing many different overexposures and other subtleties, and therefore the game very often ended in another game: either they beat him with boots, or they gave him overexposure thick and very good sideburns, so that he sometimes returned home with only one sideburn, and then a rather runny one. But his healthy and full cheeks were so well created and contained so much plant power that his sideburns soon grew back, even better than before. And what’s strangest of all, which can only happen in Rus', is that after some time he already met again with those friends who were pestering him, and he met as if nothing had happened, and he, as they say, was nothing, and they were nothing.

Nozdryov was in some respects a historical person. Not a single meeting he attended was complete without a story. However, it rarely happened that it was brought home; almost on the same day it descended to another, luckiest player, sometimes even adding his own pipe with a pouch and mouthpiece, and other times the whole foursome with everything: with a carriage and a coachman, so that the owner himself set off in a short frock coat or arkhaluk to look for some a friend to use his carriage. That's what Nozdryov was like! Maybe they will call him a beaten character, they will say that now Nozdryov is no longer there. Alas! those who speak like this will be unjust. Nozdryov will not leave the world for a long time. He is everywhere between us and, perhaps, only wears a different caftan; but people are frivolously undiscerning, and a person in a different caftan seems to them a different person.

Meanwhile, three carriages had already rolled up to the porch of Nozdryov’s house. There was no preparation in the house to receive them. There were wooden trestles in the middle of the dining room, and two men, standing on them, whitewashed the walls, singing some kind of endless song; the floor was all splashed with whitewash. Nozdryov immediately ordered the men and the goats out and ran into another room to give orders.

The guests heard him ordering dinner from the cook; Realizing this, Chichikov, who was already beginning to feel somewhat hungry, saw that they would not sit down at the table before five o’clock. Nozdryov, returning, took the guests to inspect everything he had in the village, and in a little over two hours he showed absolutely everything, so that there was nothing left to show. First of all, they went to inspect the stable, where they saw two mares, one dappled gray, the other brown, then a bay stallion, unsightly in appearance, but for which Nozdryov swore that he had paid ten thousand.

“You didn’t give ten thousand for it,” the son-in-law remarked. - He's not worth it alone.

By God, he gave me ten thousand,” said Nozdryov.

“You can swear to yourself as much as you want,” the son-in-law answered.

Well, if you want, we’ll bet!” said Nozdryov.

The son-in-law did not want to bet. Then Nozdryov showed the empty stalls where they had been before too good horses . In the same stable they saw a goat, which, according to the old belief, was considered necessary to keep with the horses, which, it seemed, was in harmony with them, walking under their bellies, as if at home. Then Nozdryov took them to see the wolf cub, which was on a leash. “Here is a wolf cub!” he said. “I feed him on purpose. I want him to be a perfect beast!" We went to look at the pond, in which, according to Nozdryov, there was a fish of such size that two people could hardly pull the thing out, which, however, the relative did not fail to doubt. "I tell you, Chichikov “, - said Nozdryov, “I’ll show you an excellent pair of dogs: the strength of the black meat is simply amazing, the shield is like a needle!” - and he led them to a very beautifully built small house, surrounded by a large yard fenced off on all sides. Entering the yard, they saw all sorts of dogs there , and thick-dogs, and pure-dogs, of all possible colors and stripes: murugi, black and tan, half-piebald, murugo-piebald, red-piebald, black-eared, gray-eared... There were all the nicknames, all the imperative moods: shoot, scold, flutter, fire, scythe, bake, bake, bake, severga, killer whale, reward, guardian. Nozdryov was among them just like a father among the family; all of them, immediately throwing up their tails, called the dogs’ rules, flew straight towards the guests. and began to greet them. About ten of them put their paws on Nozdryov’s shoulders. The curser showed the same friendship to Chichikov and, rising on his hind legs, licked his very lips with his tongue, so that Chichikov immediately spat out. We examined the dogs, which amazed us with the strength of their black meats - they were good dogs. Then we went to examine the Crimean bitch, who was already blind and, according to Nozdryov, should have died soon, but two years ago she was a very good bitch; They also examined the bitch - the bitch was definitely blind. Then we went to inspect the water mill, where the flutter was missing, in which the top stone, which quickly rotates on a spindle, is installed - “fluttering,” in the wonderful expression of the Russian peasant.

And here soon there will be a forge! - said Nozdryov.

Having walked a little, they saw, exactly, a forge, and examined the forge.

Here in this field,” said Nozdryov, pointing his finger at the field, “the Russians are so dead that the land is not visible; I caught one by the hind legs with my own hands.

Well, you can’t catch a hare with your hand! - the son-in-law remarked.

Nozdryov led his guests through the field, which in many places consisted of hummocks. Guests had to make their way between fallow fields and harrowed fields. Chichikov began to feel tired. In many places their feet squeezed out the water beneath them, the place was so low.

At first they were careful and stepped carefully, but then, seeing that it was of no use, they walked straight, not distinguishing where the most and where the least dirt was. Having walked a fair distance, they saw, exactly, a border consisting of wooden pillar and narrow ditch.

This is the border! - said Nozdryov. “Everything you see on this side is all mine, and even on the other side, all this forest that turns blue over there, and everything beyond the forest, everything is mine.”

When did this forest become yours? - asked the son-in-law.

- Did you recently buy it? After all, he was not yours.

Yes, I bought it recently,” answered Nozdryov.

When did you manage to buy it so soon?

Why, I bought it the other day, and damn it, I paid for it.

Why, you were at the fair at that time.

Oh you, Sofron! Is it not possible to be at the fair and buy land at the same time? Well, I was at the fair, and my clerk bought it without me. Yes, well, really a clerk! - said the son-in-law, but even then he doubted and shook his head. perfection. After eating balyk, they sat down at the table around five o’clock. Dinner, apparently, was not the main thing in Nozdryov’s life; the dishes did not play a big role: some were burnt, some were not cooked at all. It is clear that the cook was guided more by some kind of inspiration and put in the first thing that came to hand: if there was pepper near him, he sprinkled pepper, or if he found cabbage, he put in cabbage, stuffed milk, ham, peas - in a word, roll and go, it was It would be hot, but some taste would probably come out. But Nozdryov leaned on the wine: the soup had not yet been served, he had already poured the guests a large glass of port and another of gosautern, because in provincial and district towns there is no simple sauterne. Therefore, Nozdryov ordered to bring a bottle of Madeira, which the field marshal himself never drank better. Madeira, for sure, even burned in the mouth, for the merchants, already knowing the taste of the landowners who loved good Madeira, seasoned it mercilessly with rum, and sometimes poured it in and aqua regia

, in the hope that Russian stomachs will bear everything. Then Nozdryov ordered to bring some special bottle, which, according to him, was both bourgognon and champagne together. He poured very diligently into both glasses, right and left, for his son-in-law and Chichikov;

Chichikov noticed, however, somehow in passing, that he did not add much to himself. This forced him to be careful, and as soon as Nozdryov somehow started talking or poured a drink for his son-in-law, he would at that very moment tip his glass into the plate. In a short time, mountain ash was brought to the table, which, according to Nozdryov, had the perfect taste of cream, but in which, to amazement, fusel could be heard in all its strength. Then they drank some kind of balm that had a name that was even difficult to remember, and the owner himself another time called it by a different name. Dinner had long since ended, and the wines had been tasted, but the guests were still sitting at the table. Chichikov did not want to talk to Nozdryov in front of his son-in-law about the main subject. After all, the son-in-law was a stranger, and the subject required a private and friendly conversation. However, the son-in-law could hardly be a dangerous person, because he seemed to be working out to his heart's content and, sitting on a chair, was nodding off every minute.

Nonsense, nonsense! We'll build a little banch in a minute.

No, brother, build it yourself, but I can’t, my wife will have a big complaint, really, I have to tell her about the fair. Brother, really, I need to please her. No, don't hold me!

Well, her wife, k..! You will actually do important things together!

No, brother! she is so respectable and faithful! The services he provides are so... believe me, I have tears in my eyes. No, don’t hold me back; like an honest person, I’ll go. I assure you of this with true conscience.

Let him go, what's the use of him! - Chichikov said quietly to Nozdryov.

And indeed! - said Nozdryov. - Death I don’t like such meltdowns! - and added aloud: - Well, to hell with you, go and have sex with your wife, you little bastard! (1)

(1) Fetyuk - a word that is offensive to a man, comes from Fita - a letter considered by some to be an indecent letter. (Note by N.V. Gogol.)

“No, brother, don’t curse me with a fetish,” answered the son-in-law, “I owe her my life.” She's really kind, sweet, she gives such caresses... she brings you to tears; He’ll ask what he saw at the fair, he needs to tell everything, she’s really so sweet.

Well, go ahead and tell her nonsense! Here's your cap.

No, brother, you shouldn’t speak of her like that at all; With this you can say that you offend me myself, she is so sweet.

Well, get back to her quickly!

Yes, brother, I’ll go, sorry I can’t stay. I would be glad in my soul, but I can’t.

The son-in-law repeated his apologies for a long time, not noticing that he himself had been sitting in the chaise for a long time, had long left the gate, and in front of him there had long been only empty fields. It must be thought that the wife did not hear many details about the fair.

Such rubbish! - said Nozdryov, standing in front of the window and looking at the departing carriage. - Look how he dragged himself! The fastening skate is not bad, I’ve been wanting to pick it up for a long time. But there is no way to get along with him. Fetyuk, just fetyuk!

Then they entered the room. Porfiry handed over the candles, and Chichikov noticed in the owner’s hands a deck of cards that had come from nowhere.

“What about brother,” said Nozdryov, pressing the sides of the deck with his fingers and bending it somewhat, so that the piece of paper cracked and bounced off. - Well, to pass the time, I keep a jar of three hundred rubles!

But Chichikov pretended as if he had not heard what they were talking about, and said, as if suddenly remembering:

A! so as not to forget: I have a request for you.

First give your word that you will fulfill it.

What's your request?

Well, give me your word!

Honestly?

Honestly.

Here's my request: do you have a lot of dead peasants who have not yet been deleted from the audit?

Well, yes, but what?

Transfer them to me, to my name.

What do you need?

Well yes I need it.

Why?

Well, yes, it’s necessary... it’s my business, in a word, it’s necessary.

Well, I'm sure he's up to something. Admit it, what?

So what are you up to? It’s impossible to start anything from such a trifle.

But why do you need them?

Oh, how curious! he would like to touch all kinds of rubbish with his hand, and even smell them!

Why don't you want to tell me?

But what kind of profit do you know? Well, just like that, fantasy came.

So here it is: until you say so, I won’t do it!

Well, you see, it’s really dishonest of you: you gave your word, and even backed out.

Well, as you want, I won’t do it until you tell me why.

"What should I say to him?" - thought Chichikov, and after a moment of reflection he announced that dead Souls he needs to gain weight in society, since he doesn’t have large estates, so until then at least some little souls.

You're lying, you're lying! - said Nozdryov, not allowing him to finish. - You're lying, brother!

Chichikov himself noticed that he had not come up with a very clever idea and that the pretext was rather weak.

Well, I’ll tell you more directly,” he said, correcting himself, “just please don’t let it slip to anyone.” I thought about getting married; but you need to know that the father and mother of the bride are very ambitious people.

This is, really, a commission: I’m not glad that I got involved, they certainly want the groom to have no less than three hundred souls, and since I’m missing almost one and a half hundred peasants...

Well, you're lying! you're lying! - Nozdryov shouted again. Well, here it is,” said Chichikov, “he didn’t lie that much,” and showed thumb

on your little finger the smallest part.

I bet you're lying!

However, this is a shame! What am I really?

Why do I have to lie?

Well, yes, I know you: you are a big swindler, let me tell you this out of friendship! If I were your boss, I would hang you from the first tree.

Chichikov was offended by this remark. Already any expression that was in any way rude or offensive to decency was unpleasant to him. He did not even like to allow himself to be treated with familiarity in any case, unless the person was of too high a rank. And so now he was completely offended.

By God, I would hang him,” repeated Nozdryov, “I’m telling you this frankly, not to offend you, but just saying it in a friendly way.”

Eh, you're good too! look you! Are they diamonds, or what?

Well, it is. I already knew you.

Have mercy, brother, what kind of Jewish urge do you have?

You should just give them to me.

Well, listen, to prove to you that I’m not some kind of scammer, I won’t take anything for them. Buy a stallion from me, I'll give you one in addition.

For mercy's sake, what do I need a stallion for? - said Chichikov, truly amazed at such a proposal.

Like what? But I paid ten thousand for it, and I’m giving it to you for four.

What do I need a stallion for? I don't run a factory.

Listen, you don’t understand: I’ll only take three thousand from you now, and you can pay me the rest of the thousand later.

I don’t need a stallion, God bless him!

Well, buy a brown mare.

And you don't need a mare.

For the mare and for the gray horse that you saw with me, I will take only two thousand from you.

I don't need horses.

If you sell them, they will give you three times as much for them at the first fair.

It’s better to sell them yourself when you are sure that you will win three times.

I know that I will win, and I want you to benefit too.

Chichikov thanked him for the favor and outright refused both the gray horse and the brown mare.

Well, buy some dogs. I’ll sell you a pair like this, it’ll just give you the chills! busty, with a mustache, the fur stands up like stubble.

The barreliness of the ribs is incomprehensible, the paw is all in a ball and won’t touch the ground.

Why do I need dogs? I'm not a hunter.

Yes, I want you to have dogs. Listen, if you don’t want dogs, then buy a barrel organ from me, a wonderful barrel organ; myself, as an honest person, it cost one and a half thousand. I’ll give it to you for nine hundred rubles.

But why do I need a barrel organ? After all, I’m not German to trudge along the roads with her and beg for money.

But this is not the kind of barrel organ that the Germans wear. This is an organ; look at it on purpose: it’s all made of mahogany. Here I will show it to you again! - Here Nozdryov, grabbing Chichikov by the hand, began to drag him into another room, and no matter how he rested his feet on the floor and assured that he already knew what the organ was, he had to hear again how Malbrug went on a campaign. - When you don’t want money, so listen: I’ll give you a barrel organ and all the dead souls I have, and you give me your chaise and three hundred rubles in addition.

“How the restless demon has taken hold of him!” - Chichikov thought to himself and decided at all costs to get rid of all sorts of chaises, barrel organs and all possible dogs, despite the incomprehensible barreliness of the ribs and the lumpy paws.

Why, a chaise, a barrel organ and dead souls, all together!

“I don’t want to,” Chichikov said again.

Why don't you want to?

Because I just don’t want to, and that’s it.

What are you really like! with you, as I see, it is impossible, as usual between good friends and comrades, really!.. Now it’s clear that he’s a two-faced man!

What am I, a fool, or what? Judge for yourself: why buy something that is absolutely unnecessary for me?

Well, please don't tell me. Now I know you very well. Such a rakalia, really! Well, listen, do you want to throw a can? I will put all the dead on the line, and the organ too.

Well, deciding to go to the bank means being exposed to the unknown,” said Chichikov, and meanwhile glanced sideways at the cards in his hands. Both waists seemed to him very similar to artificial ones, and the very spot looked very suspicious.

Why the unknown? - said Nozdryov. - No suspense! If only happiness is on your side, you can win the damn abyss. There she is! what happiness! - he said, starting to throw enthusiasm to excite. - What happiness! what happiness! there: it’s pounding! this is the damned nine on which I squandered everything! I felt that he would sell, but already, closing my eyes, I thought to myself: “Damn you, sell you, damn you!”

When Nozdryov said this, Porfiry brought a bottle. But Chichikov resolutely refused to both play and drink.

Why don't you want to play? - said Nozdryov.

Well, because it’s not located. Yes, I must admit, I’m not at all keen on playing.

Why not a hunter?

Chichikov shrugged his shoulders and added:

Because I'm not a hunter.

You're rubbish!

What to do? God created it that way.

Just crazy! I thought before that you were at least somewhat honest man, but you don’t understand any treatment. There is no way to talk to you as if you were a close person... no straightforwardness, no sincerity! perfect Sobakevich, such a scoundrel!

Why are you scolding me? Is it my fault that I don't play? Sell ​​me some souls, if you are the kind of person who trembles over this nonsense.

You'll get damn bald! I wanted to, I wanted to give it away for nothing, but now you won’t get it! Even if you give me three kingdoms, I won’t give it up. Such a scoundrel, a disgusting stove maker! From now on I don’t want to have anything to do with you.

Porfiry, go tell the groom not to give oats to his horses, let them eat nothing but hay.

Chichikov did not expect this last conclusion.

It would be better if you just didn’t show your face to me! - said Nozdryov.

Despite, however, such a disagreement, the guest and the host dined together, although this time there were no wines with fancy names on the table. There was only one bottle of some kind of Cypriot sticking out, which was what is called sour in all respects. After dinner, Nozdryov said to Chichikov, taking him to a side room where a bed had been prepared for him: Here's your bed! I don't want to either Good night

wish you!

After Nozdryov left, Chichikov was left in the most unpleasant mood. He was inwardly annoyed with himself, scolding himself for visiting him and wasting his time. But he scolded himself even more for talking to him about the matter, acting carelessly, like a child, like a fool: for the matter was not at all of that kind, to be entrusted to Nozdryov... Nozdryov is a trash man, Nozdryov can lie, add, spread God knows what, some other gossip will come out - not good, not good. "I'm just a fool." - he said to himself. He slept very poorly that night. Some small, persistent insects bit him with unbearable pain, so that he scratched the wounded place with his whole fist, saying: “Oh, damn you and Nozdryov!” He woke up early in the morning. His first order of business was, putting on a robe and boots, to go across the yard to the stable and order Selifan to lay the chaise at once. Returning through the courtyard, he met Nozdryov, who was also in a dressing gown, with a pipe in his mouth.

Nozdryov greeted him in a friendly manner and asked how he slept.

“So-so,” Chichikov answered very dryly.

And I, brother,” said Nozdryov, “such abomination crept in all night that it’s disgusting to tell, and in my mouth after yesterday it’s like a squadron spent the night.” Imagine: I dreamed that I was whipped, oh my! and guess who?

You'll never guess: Staff Captain Potseluev together with Kuvshinnikov.

Chichikov went into the room to get dressed and wash. When he went out into the dining room after that, there was already a tea set with a bottle of rum on the table. There were traces of yesterday's lunch and dinner in the room; it seems that the floor brush was not touched at all. There were bread crumbs on the floor, and tobacco ash was even visible on the tablecloth. The owner himself, who was quick to enter, had nothing under his robe except his open chest, on which some kind of beard grew. Holding a chibouk in his hand and sipping from a cup, he was very good for a painter who does not like the fear of gentlemen slicked and curled, like barber signs, or cut with a comb.

Well, what do you think? - said Nozdryov, after a short silence.

- Don't you want to play for souls?

I already told you, brother, that I don’t play; buy - if you please, I’ll buy it.

I don’t want to sell, it wouldn’t be friendly. I won't take the spitting off God knows what. In a bow is another matter. Let's at least throw in the waist!

I already said no.

You can tell yourself whatever you want, but I’m telling you that you won’t even drink ten.

Don't you want to change?

Well, listen, let's play checkers, if you win, it's all yours.

After all, I have a lot of people who need to be deleted from the revision. Hey, Porfiry, bring the checkerboard here.

Labor is in vain, I will not play.

But it’s not to the bank; there can be no happiness or falsehood here: everything comes from art; I’ll even preface you by saying that I don’t know how to play at all, unless you give me something in advance.

“I’ll play checkers with him,” Chichikov thought to himself! “I played checkers well, but it’s hard for him to get up to speed here.”

If you please, so be it, I’ll play checkers.

Souls cost a hundred rubles!

Why? It’s enough if they go at fifty.

No, what kind of jackpot is fifty? It would be better if I included in this amount some average puppy or a gold signet for your watch.

Well, please! - said Chichikov.

How much will you give me in advance? - said Nozdryov.

Why on earth is this? Of course, nothing.

At least let it be my two moves.

I don’t want to, I’m not a good player myself.

It's been a while since I picked up checkers! - Chichikov said, also moving his saber.

We know you, how bad you play! - said Nozdryov, speaking with his saber.

It's been a while since I picked up checkers! - Chichikov said, moving his saber.

Yes, a saber,” said Chichikov, and at the same time he saw another one right in front of his nose, which, as it seemed, was making its way into the kings;

where it came from, only God knew. “No,” said Chichikov, getting up from the table, “there is no way to play with you!” They don’t move like that, suddenly three checkers at a time!

Why three? This is by mistake. One moved accidentally, I’ll move it if you please.

Where did the other one come from?

Which other one?

And this one that sneaks into the ladies?

Look at you like you don’t remember!

No, brother, I counted all the moves and remember everything; You just installed it now. She belongs over there!

How, where is the place? - said Nozdryov, blushing. - Yes, brother, as I see it, you are a writer!

No, brother, it seems that you are the writer, but it’s just unsuccessful.

Who do you think I am? - said Nozdryov. - Am I going to cheat?

I don’t regard you as anyone, but from now on I’ll never play.

No, you can’t refuse,” Nozdryov said, getting excited, “the game has begun!”

I have the right to refuse, because you are not playing as befits an honest person.

No, you're lying, you can't say that1

No, brother, you yourself are lying!

I didn’t cheat, but you can’t refuse, you have to finish the game!

“You can’t force me to do this,” Chichikov said calmly and, going up to the board, mixed the checkers.

Nozdryov flushed and approached Chichikov so close that he took two steps back.

I'll make you play! It's okay that you mixed the checkers, I remember all the moves. We will put them back the way they were.

No, brother, it's over, I won't play with you.

So you don't want to play?

You see for yourself that there is no way to play with you.

No, tell me straight, you don't want to play? - Nozdryov said, approaching even closer.

Don't want! - said Chichikov and, however, brought both hands closer to his face just in case, for things were really getting hot.

This precaution was very appropriate, because Nozdryov waved his hand... and it could very well have happened that one of our hero’s pleasant and full cheeks would have been covered with indelible dishonor; but, happily deflecting the blow, he grabbed Nozdryov by both of his perky hands and held him tightly.

Porfiry, Pavlushka! - Nozdryov shouted in rage, trying to break free.

So you don't want to finish the games? - said Nozdryov. - Answer me directly!

There is no way to end the game,” Chichikov said and looked out the window. He saw his chaise, which stood completely ready, and Selifan seemed to be waiting for a signal to roll under the porch, but there was no way to get out of the room: two hefty serf fools were standing at the door.

So you don't want to finish the games? - Nozdryov repeated with his face burning as if on fire.

If only you played like an honest person should. But now I can't.

A! You can't do that, you scoundrel! When you saw that it wasn’t yours, you couldn’t! Beat him! - he shouted frantically, turning to Porfiry and Pavlushka, and he grabbed the cherry chibouk in his hand. Chichikov became pale as a sheet. He wanted to say something, but he felt that his lips were moving without a sound.

Beat him! - Nozdryov shouted, rushing forward with his cherry chibouk, all hot and sweaty, as if he was approaching an impregnable fortress. - Beat him! - he shouted in the same voice as during a great attack he shouts to his platoon: “Guys, forward!” some desperate lieutenant, whose eccentric courage has already acquired such fame that a special order is given to hold his hands during hot affairs. But the lieutenant already felt the swearing fervor, everything went around in his head; Suvorov rushes in front of him, he climbs into a great cause. "Guys, go ahead!" - he shouts, rushing, without thinking that he is harming the already thought-out plan for a general attack, that millions of gun muzzles are exposed in the embrasures of impregnable fortress walls that go beyond the clouds, that his powerless platoon will fly up like feathers into the air and that the fatal bullet is already whistling , preparing to slam his noisy throat. But if Nozdryov expressed himself as a desperate, lost lieutenant approaching the fortress, then the fortress he was going towards did not in any way resemble an impregnable one. On the contrary, the fortress felt such fear that its soul hid in its very heels. Already the chair with which he had decided to defend himself had been torn out of his hands by the serfs, already, having closed his eyes, neither alive nor dead, he was preparing to taste his master’s Circassian chibouk, and God knows what would happen to him; but fate was pleased to save the sides, shoulders and all the well-mannered parts of our hero.

Unexpectedly, the rattling sounds of a bell suddenly rang, as if from the clouds, the sound of the wheels of a cart flying up to the porch was clearly heard, and the heavy snoring and heavy panting of the heated horses of the stopped troika echoed even in the room itself. Everyone involuntarily looked out the window: someone, with a mustache, in a semi-military frock coat, was getting out of the cart. Having inquired in the hall, he entered at that very moment when Chichikov had not yet had time to recover from his fear and was in the most pitiful position in which a mortal had ever been.

Let me know who is Mr. Nozdryov here? - said the stranger, looking in some bewilderment at Nozdryov, who stood with a chibouk in his hand, and at Chichikov, who was barely beginning to recover from his disadvantageous position.

Let me first find out who I have the honor of speaking with?

- Nozdryov said, coming closer to him.

Police captain.

What do you want?

You were involved in a story on the occasion of inflicting a personal insult on the landowner Maximov with rods while drunk.

You're lying! I have never even seen the landowner Maximov!

Your Majesty! Let me tell you that I am an officer. You can tell this to your servant, not to me!

Here Chichikov, without waiting for Nozdryov to answer this, rather slipped out onto the porch by his hat and behind the back of the police captain, sat down in the chaise and ordered Selifan to drive the horses at full speed.

The poem "Gogol's Dead Souls" summary in 10 minutes.

Meeting Chichikov

To the hotel provincial town A middle-aged gentleman of rather pleasant appearance arrived in a small chaise. He rented a room in the hotel, looked around it and went to the common room for dinner, leaving the servants to settle in their new place. This was the collegiate adviser, landowner Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov.

After lunch, he went to explore the city and found that it was no different from other provincial cities. The visitor devoted the entire next day to visits. He visited the governor, the police chief, the vice-governor and other officials, each of whom he managed to win over by saying something pleasant about his department. He had already received an invitation to the governor for the evening.

Arriving at the governor's house, Chichikov, among other things, met Manilov, a very courteous and polite man, and the somewhat clumsy Sobakevich, and behaved so pleasantly with them that he completely charmed them, and both landowners invited their new friend to visit them. The next day, at dinner with the police chief, Pavel Ivanovich made the acquaintance of Nozdryov, a broken-hearted fellow of about thirty, with whom they immediately became friendly.

The newcomer lived in the city for more than a week, traveling around to parties and dinners; he showed himself to be a very pleasant conversationalist, able to talk on any topic. He knew how to behave well and had a degree of sedateness. In general, everyone in the city came to the opinion that he was an exceptionally decent and well-intentioned
Human.

Chichikov at Manilov's

Finally, Chichikov decided to visit his landowner acquaintances and went out of town. First he went to Manilov. With some difficulty he found the village of Manilovka, which turned out to be not fifteen, but thirty miles from the city. Manilov greeted his new acquaintance very cordially, they kissed and entered the house, passing each other at the door for a long time. Manilov was, in general, a pleasant person, somehow cloyingly sweet, had no special hobbies other than fruitless dreams, and did not do housework.

His wife was brought up in a boarding school, where she was taught the three main subjects necessary for family happiness: French, piano and knitting purses. She was pretty and dressed well. Her husband introduced Pavel Ivanovich to her. They talked a little, and the owners invited the guest to dinner. Already waiting in the dining room were the Manilovs’ sons, Themistoclus, seven years old, and six-year-old Alcides, for whom the teacher had tied napkins. The guest was shown the children's learning; the teacher only reprimanded the boys once, when the older one bit the younger one on the ear.

After dinner, Chichikov announced that he intended to talk with the owner about a very important matter, and both went to the office. The guest started a conversation about peasants and invited the owner to buy dead souls from him, that is, those peasants who had already died, but according to the audit were still listed as alive. Manilov could not understand anything for a long time, then he doubted the legality of such a bill of sale, but still agreed because
respect for the guest. When Pavel Ivanovich started talking about the price, the owner was offended and even took it upon himself to draw up the bill of sale.

Chichikov did not know how to thank Manilov. They said a hearty goodbye, and Pavel Ivanovich drove off, promising to come again and bring gifts for the children.

Chichikov at Korobochka

Chichikov was going to pay his next visit to Sobakevich, but it started to rain, and the crew drove into some field. Selifan unwrapped the wagon so clumsily that the master fell out of it and became covered in mud. Luckily, dogs were heard barking. They went to the village and asked to spend the night in some house. It turned out that this was the estate of a certain landowner Korobochka.

In the morning, Pavel Ivanovich met the owner, Nastasya Petrovna, a middle-aged woman, one of those who always complains about the lack of money, but little by little saves and collects a decent fortune. The village was quite large, the houses were strong, the peasants lived well. The hostess invited the unexpected guest to drink tea, the conversation turned to housekeeping, and Chichikov offered to buy from her dead souls.

Korobochka was extremely frightened by this proposal, not really understanding what they wanted from her. After much explanation and persuasion, she finally agreed and wrote Chichikov a power of attorney, trying to sell him hemp as well.

After eating pie and pancakes baked especially for him, the guest drove on, accompanied by a girl who was supposed to lead the carriage onto the high road. Seeing a tavern already standing on the main road, they dropped off the girl, who, having received a copper penny as a reward, wandered home, and went there.

Chichikov at Nozdryov's

At the tavern, Chichikov ordered a pig with horseradish and sour cream and, eating it, asked the hostess about the surrounding landowners. At this time, two gentlemen drove up to the tavern, one of whom was Nozdryov, and the second was his son-in-law Mizhuev. Nozdryov, a well-built fellow, what is called blood and milk, with thick black hair and sideburns, rosy cheeks and very white teeth,
recognized Chichikov and began to tell him how they walked at the fair, how much champagne they drank and how he lost at cards.

Mizhuev, a tall, fair-haired man with a tanned face and a red mustache, constantly accused his friend of exaggeration. Nozdryov persuaded Chichikov to go to him, Mizhuev, reluctantly, also went with them.

It must be said that Nozdryov’s wife died, leaving him with two children, about whom he had nothing to do, and he moved from one fair to another, from one party to another. Everywhere he played cards and roulette and usually lost, although he was not shy about cheating, for which he was sometimes beaten by his partners. He was cheerful, considered a good friend, but he always managed to spoil his friends: upset a wedding, ruin a deal.

At the estate, having ordered lunch from the cook, Nozdryov took the guest to inspect the farm, which was nothing special, and drove for two hours, telling stories incredible in lies, so that Chichikov was very tired. Lunch was served, some of which was burnt, some was undercooked, and numerous wines of dubious quality.

The owner poured food for the guests, but hardly drank himself. The heavily intoxicated Mizhuev was sent home to his wife after dinner, and Chichikov started a conversation with Nozdrev about dead souls Oh. The landowner flatly refused to sell them, but offered to play cards with them, and when the guest refused, exchange them for Chichikov’s horses or chaise. Pavel Ivanovich also rejected this proposal and went to bed. The next day, the restless Nozdryov persuaded him to fight for souls in checkers. During the game, Chichikov noticed that the owner was playing dishonestly and told him about it.

The landowner was offended, began to scold the guest and ordered the servants to beat him. Chichikov was saved by the appearance of the police captain, who announced that Nozdryov was on trial and accused of inflicting a personal insult on the landowner Maximov with rods while drunk. Pavel Ivanovich did not wait for the outcome, jumped out of the house and drove away.

Chichikov at Sobakevich's

On the way to Sobakevich, an unpleasant incident happened. Selifan, lost in thought, did not give way to a carriage drawn by six horses that was overtaking them, and the harness of both carriages became so mixed up that it took a long time to re-harness. In the carriage sat an old woman and a sixteen-year-old girl whom Pavel Ivanovich really liked...

Soon we arrived at Sobakevich's estate. Everything there was strong, solid, durable. The owner, fat, with a face as if carved with an axe, very much like a learned bear, met the guest and led him into the house. The furniture matched the owner - heavy, durable. On the walls hung paintings depicting ancient commanders.

The conversation turned to city officials, each of whom the owner gave negative characterization. The hostess entered, Sobakevich introduced the guest to her and invited him to dinner. Lunch was not very varied, but tasty and filling. During dinner, the owner mentioned the landowner Plyushkin, who lived five miles away from him, whose people were dying like flies, and Chichikov took note of this.

Having had a very hearty lunch, the men retired to the living room, and Pavel Ivanovich got down to business. Sobakevich listened to him without saying a word. Without asking any questions, he agreed to sell the dead souls to the guest, but charged a high price for them, as for living people.

They bargained for a long time and agreed on two and a half rubles per head, and Sobakevich demanded a deposit. He compiled a list of peasants, gave each one a description of his business qualities and wrote a receipt for the deposit, amazing Chichikov with how intelligently everything was written. They parted satisfied with each other, and Chichikov went to Plyushkin.

Chichikov at Plyushkin's

He entered a large village, striking in its poverty: the huts were almost without roofs, their windows were covered with bull's bladders or covered with rags. The master's house is large, with many outbuildings for household needs, but they are all almost collapsed, only two windows are open, the rest are boarded up or closed with shutters. The house gave the impression of being uninhabited.

Chichikov noticed a figure dressed so strangely that it was impossible to immediately recognize whether it was a woman or a man. Paying attention to the bunch of keys on his belt, Pavel Ivanovich decided that it was the housekeeper, and turned to her, calling her “mother” and asking where the master was. The housekeeper told him to go into the house and disappeared. He entered and was amazed at the chaos that reigned there. Everything is covered in dust, there are dried bits of wood on the table, and a bunch of strange things are piled in the corner. The housekeeper entered, and Chichikov again asked for the master. She said that the master was in front of him.

It must be said that Plyushkin was not always like this. Once upon a time he had a family and was simply a thrifty, although somewhat stingy, owner. His wife was distinguished by her hospitality, and there were often guests in the house. Then the wife died eldest daughter she ran away with an officer, and her father cursed her because he could not stand the military. The son went to the city to enter civil service. but he signed up for the regiment. Plyushkin cursed him too. When she died youngest daughter, the landowner was left alone in the house.

His stinginess assumed terrifying proportions; he carried into the house all the rubbish found around the village, even an old sole. The quitrent was collected from the peasants in the same amount, but since Plyushkin asked an exorbitant price for the goods, no one bought anything from him, and everything rotted in the master’s yard. His daughter came to him twice, first with one child, then with two, bringing him gifts and asking for help, but the father did not give him a penny. His son lost the game and also asked for money, but also received nothing. Plyushkin himself looked like if Chichikov had met him near the church, he would have given him a penny.

While Pavel Ivanovich was thinking about how to start talking about dead souls, the owner began to complain about the hard life: the peasants were dying, and taxes had to be paid for them. The guest offered to bear these expenses. Plyushkin happily agreed, ordered the samovar to be put on and the remains of the Easter cake brought from the pantry, which his daughter had once brought and from which the mold had to be scraped off first.

Then he suddenly doubted the honesty of Chichikov’s intentions, and he offered to draw up a deed of sale for the dead peasants. Plyushkin decided to sell Chichikov some runaway peasants as well, and after bargaining, Pavel Ivanovich took them for thirty kopecks. After this, he (to the great satisfaction of the owner) refused lunch and tea and left in excellent spirits.

Chichikov is running a scam with “dead souls”

On the way to the hotel, Chichikov even sang. The next day he woke up in in a great mood and immediately sat down at the table to write bills of sale. At twelve o'clock I got dressed and, with papers under my arm, went to the civil ward. Coming out of the hotel, Pavel Ivanovich ran into Manilov, who was walking towards him.

They kissed so hard that both of them had toothaches all day long, and Manilov volunteered to accompany Chichikov. In the civil chamber, it was not without difficulty that they found the official in charge of deeds of sale, who, having received the bribe, sent Pavel Ivanovich to the chairman, Ivan Grigorievich. Sobakevich was already sitting in the chairman’s office. Ivan Grigorievich gave instructions to the same
official to fill out all the papers and collect witnesses.

When everything was properly completed, the chairman proposed to inject the purchase. Chichikov wanted to supply them with champagne, but Ivan Grigorievich said that they would go to the police chief, who would only blink an eye at the merchants in the fish and meat aisles, and a wonderful dinner would be prepared.

And so it happened. The merchants considered the police chief to be their man, who, although he robbed them, did not behave and even willingly baptized merchant children. The dinner was magnificent, the guests drank and ate well, and Sobakevich alone ate a huge sturgeon and then did not eat anything, but just sat silently in a chair. Everyone was happy and did not want to let Chichikov leave the city, but decided to marry him, to which he gladly agreed.

Feeling that he had already begun to say too much, Pavel Ivanovich asked for a carriage and arrived at the hotel completely drunk in the prosecutor's droshky. Petrushka with difficulty undressed the master, cleaned his suit, and, making sure that the owner was fast asleep, went with Selifan to the nearest tavern, from where they came out in an embrace and fell asleep crosswise on the same bed.

Chichikov’s purchases caused a lot of talk in the city, everyone took an active part in his affairs, they discussed how difficult it would be for him to resettle so many serfs in the Kherson province. Of course, Chichikov did not spread that he had acquired dead peasants; everyone believed that they had bought living ones, and a rumor spread throughout the city that Pavel Ivanovich was a millionaire. He was immediately interested in the ladies, who were very presentable in this city, traveled only in carriages, dressed fashionably and spoke elegantly. Chichikov could not help but notice such attention to himself. One day they brought him an anonymous love letter with poetry, at the end of which it was written that his own heart would help him guess the writer.

Chichikov at the governor's ball

After some time, Pavel Ivanovich was invited to a ball with the governor. His appearance at the ball caused great enthusiasm among all those present. The men greeted him with loud cheers and tight hugs, and the ladies surrounded him, forming a multi-colored garland. He tried to guess which of them wrote the letter, but he couldn’t.

Chichikov was rescued from their entourage by the governor's wife, holding on the arm a pretty sixteen-year-old girl, in whom Pavel Ivanovich recognized the blonde from the carriage that encountered him on the way from Nozdryov. It turned out that the girl was the governor’s daughter, who had just graduated from the institute. Chichikov turned all his attention to her and spoke only to her, although the girl got bored from his stories and began to yawn. The ladies did not like this behavior of their idol at all, because each had her own views on Pavel Ivanovich. They were indignant and condemned the poor schoolgirl.

Unexpectedly, Nozdryov appeared from the living room, where the card game was going on, accompanied by the prosecutor, and, seeing Chichikov, immediately shouted to the whole room: What? Did you sell a lot of dead people? Pavel Ivanovich did not know where to go, and meanwhile the landowner, with great pleasure, began to tell everyone about Chichikov’s scam. Everyone knew that Nozdryov was a liar, nevertheless his words caused confusion and controversy. Upset Chichikov, anticipating a scandal, did not wait until dinner was over and went to the hotel.

While he, sitting in his room, was cursing Nozdryov and all his relatives, a car with Korobochka drove into the city. This club-headed landowner, worried whether Chichikov had deceived her in some cunning way, decided to personally find out how much dead souls are worth these days. The next day the ladies stirred up the whole city.

They could not understand the essence of the scam with dead souls and they decided that the purchase was made as a distraction, but in fact Chichikov came to the city to kidnap the governor’s daughter. The governor's wife, having heard about this, interrogated her unsuspecting daughter and ordered Pavel Ivanovich no longer to be received. The men also couldn’t understand anything, but they didn’t really believe in the kidnapping.

At this time, a new general was appointed to the province - the governor and officials even thought that Chichikov had come to their city on his instructions to check. Then they decided that Chichikov was a counterfeiter, then that he was a robber. They interrogated Selifan and Petrushka, but they could not say anything intelligible. They also talked with Nozdryov, who, without blinking an eye, confirmed all their guesses. The prosecutor was so worried that he had a stroke and died.

Chichikov knew nothing about all this. He caught a cold, sat in his room for three days and wondered why none of his new acquaintances visited him. Finally he recovered, dressed warmly and went to visit the governor. Imagine Pavel Ivanovich’s surprise when the footman said that he was not ordered to receive him! Then he went to see other officials, but everyone received him so strangely, they conducted such a forced and incomprehensible conversation that he doubted their health.

Chichikov leaves town

Chichikov wandered around the city aimlessly for a long time, and in the evening Nozdryov showed up to him, offering his help in kidnapping the governor’s daughter for three thousand rubles. The cause of the scandal became clear to Pavel Ivanovich and he immediately ordered Selifan to pawn the horses, and he himself began to pack his things. But it turned out that the horses needed to be shod, and we left only the next day. When we were driving through the city, we had to miss funeral procession: they buried the prosecutor. Chichikov drew the curtains. Fortunately, no one paid attention to him.

the essence of the dead souls scam

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov was born into a poor noble family. By sending his son to school, his father ordered him to live frugally, behave well, please teachers, be friends only with the children of rich parents, and most of all in life value a penny. Pavlusha did all this conscientiously and was very successful in it. not disdaining to speculate on edibles. Not distinguished by intelligence and knowledge, his behavior earned him a certificate and a letter of commendation upon graduating from college.

Most of all he dreamed of a calm rich life, but for now I denied myself everything. He began to serve, but did not receive a promotion, no matter how much he pleased his boss. Then, having checked. that the boss had an ugly and no longer young daughter, Chichikov began to look after her. It even got to the point that he settled in the boss’s house, started calling him daddy and kissed his hand. Soon Pavel Ivanovich received new position and immediately moved to his apartment. but the matter of the wedding was hushed up. Time passed, Chichikov succeeded. He himself did not take bribes, but received money from his subordinates, who began to take three times more. After some time, a commission was organized in the city to build some kind of capital structure, and Pavel Ivanovich settled there. The structure did not grow above the foundation, but the members of the commission built beautiful large houses for themselves. Unfortunately, the boss was changed, the new one demanded reports from the commission, and all the houses were confiscated to the treasury. Chichikov was fired, and he was forced to start his career again.

He changed two or three positions, and then got lucky: he got a job at customs, where he showed his worth the best side, was incorruptible, was the best at finding contraband, and deserved a promotion. As soon as this happened, the incorruptible Pavel Ivanovich conspired with a large gang of smugglers, attracted another official to the case, and together they pulled off several scams, thanks to which they put four hundred thousand in the bank. But one day an official quarreled with Chichikov and wrote a denunciation against him, the case was revealed, the money was confiscated from both, and they themselves were fired from customs. Fortunately, we managed to avoid trial, Pavel Ivanovich had some money hidden, and he began to arrange his life again. He had to become an attorney, and it was this service that gave him the idea of ​​dead souls. Once he was trying to get several hundred peasants from a bankrupt landowner to pledge to the board of guardians. In between, Chichikov explained to the secretary that half of the peasants had died out and he doubted the success of the business. The secretary said that if the souls are listed in the audit inventory, then nothing terrible can happen. It was then that Pavel Ivanovich decided to buy up more dead souls and put them in the guardianship council, receiving money for them as if they were alive. The city in which we met with Chichikov was the first on his path to realizing his plan, and now Pavel Ivanovich in his chaise drawn by three horses rode further.

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N.V. Gogol. The author published it in 1842. He originally planned a three-volume work. In 1842 the first volume was published. However, the second, almost finished, was destroyed by the writer himself (several chapters from it were preserved in the drafts). The third was not even started, there is only isolated information about it. Therefore, we will consider Chichikov’s attitude towards Nozdryov only on the basis of the first volume of the work. Let's start by getting to know these heroes.

Who are Chichikov and Nozdryov?

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is a former official, and now a schemer. This retired collegiate adviser was engaged in buying up “dead souls” (that is, written evidence of deceased peasants) in order to mortgage them as if they were alive, obtain a bank loan and gain influence in society. He takes care of himself and dresses smartly. Chichikov, even after a dusty and long journey, manages to look as if he had just visited a barber and tailor.

Nozdryov is a 35-year-old dashing "talker, reveler, reckless driver." This is the third landowner in the work with whom Chichikov decided to start bargaining over dead souls. Let's try to answer the question of how Chichikov treated Nozdryov. To do this, you should trace the entire history of their relationship.

Acquaintance of Chichikov with Nozdrev

In the first chapter of the work, they meet during lunch with the prosecutor. Then the heroes accidentally encounter each other in a tavern (chapter four). Chichikov travels from Korobochka to Sobakevich. In turn, Nozdryov, together with Mezhuev, his son-in-law, returns from the fair, where he lost and drank everything, including the crew. The landowner immediately lures Gogol's swindler to his estate. It is clear what Chichikov wanted from the landowner Nozdryov, why he agreed to go with him - he was interested in “dead souls”.

Having delivered the guests, the landowner immediately begins to show the farm. Nozdryov starts with a stable, then talks about a wolf cub who lives with him and eats only raw meat. Then the landowner moves on to the pond. Here, according to his stories, there are fish that only two fishermen together can pull out. This is followed by a show of the kennel, where Nozdryov looks like a “father of the family” among the dogs. After this, the guests go to the field, where, of course, they catch the hare with their hands. It is clear that Chichikov’s attitude towards the landowner Nozdryov after all this boasting is unlikely to be positive. After all, this hero is very insightful.

Drinking and its consequences

The landowner is not very concerned about dinner. Only at 5 o'clock do guests sit down at the table. He explains that food is not the main thing in his life. But Nozdryov has a lot of drinks, and he doesn’t have enough of the ones he has and he invents his own incredible “compositions” (champagne and bourgoignon together, rowan, which tastes like fusel, “with the taste of cream”). At the same time, the landowner spares himself. Chichikov, noticing this, quietly pours out his glasses too.

Nevertheless, the owner, who “spared” himself, appears to him the next morning in only a robe and with a pipe in his mouth. He assures, as a hussar hero should, that “the squadron spent the night” in his mouth. It doesn’t matter at all whether you have a hangover or not. The only important thing is that a decent reveler must certainly suffer from it. What was Nozdryov’s attitude towards Chichikov? It is best revealed by the quarrel that occurred during the bargaining.

Chichikov's quarrel with Nozdrev

The motive of this false hangover is important to the author in another respect. During the bargaining that took place the night before, Nozdryov had a big quarrel with Chichikov. The fact is that he refused to play cards for “dead souls”, and also to buy a stallion of real “Arab blood”, and receive souls “in addition”. Nozdrev's attitude to Chichikov's proposal, therefore, requires justification. However, the landowner’s evening cockiness cannot be attributed to alcohol, just as the morning peacefulness cannot be explained by forgetting what was done in a drunken stupor. Nozdryov is guided in his actions by only one thing spiritual quality: recklessness bordering on unconsciousness.

Game of checkers for souls

The landowner does not plan, does not conceive anything, he simply does not know the measure of anything. Chichikov, having agreed (very recklessly) to play checkers to his heart's content (since checkers are not marked), almost becomes a victim of Nozdryov's revelry. The souls at stake are valued at 100 rubles. The landowner moves 3 checkers at once with his sleeve and thus moves one of them into kings. Chichikov has no choice but to mix the figures.

The game of souls emphasizes the essence of both heroes, and does not simply reveal how Chichikov treated the landowner Nozdryov. The latter asks for 100 rubles for the souls, and Chichikov wants to reduce the price to 50. Nozdryov’s attitude to Chichikov’s proposal is as follows: he asks to include some kind of puppy in the same amount. This landowner, being an incorrigible gambler, does not play for the sake of winning at all - he is interested in the process itself. Nozdryov is annoyed and angry at the loss. The ending of the game is predictable and familiar - it is a conflict turning into a fight.

Chichikov's escape

Chichikov, at the same time, thinks primarily not about physical pain, but about the fact that the courtyard people will witness this unpleasant scene. But the reputation should be maintained by all possible means. The hero resolves the conflict that threatens his image in the usual way - he flees. Subsequently, when the whole city becomes aware of the purchase of “dead souls,” he does the same. Chichikov’s attitude towards Nozdrev, their cheating deal is a parody of entrepreneurial activity. She complements the characteristics of both characters, demonstrating the vulgarity and baseness of the “middle-class” gentlemen.

It seems that reprisal against Chichikov is inevitable. The landowner shouts in excitement: “Beat him!” The guest is saved only by the appearance of the police captain, a formidable man with a huge mustache.

Scene at the governor's ball and Nozdryov's visit

Chichikov hopes that he will never see Nozdryov again. However, these heroes will meet twice more. One of the meetings takes place at the governor’s ball (chapter eight). In this scene, the buyer of “dead souls” was almost killed. Nozdryov, unexpectedly encountering him, shouts at the top of his voice that this is a “Kherson landowner” who “trades in dead souls.” This gives rise to many incredible rumors. When, completely confused in different versions, officials of the city of NN call on Nozdryov, he, not at all embarrassed by the contradictory nature of all these opinions, confirms them all (chapter nine). Chichikov allegedly bought dead souls worth several thousand, he is a counterfeiter and a spy, he tried to take away the governor’s daughter, and priest Sidor was supposed to marry the newlyweds for 75 rubles. Nozdryov even confirms that Chichikov is Napoleon.

In the tenth chapter, the landowner himself informs Chichikov about these rumors, to whom he pays a visit without an invitation. Nozdryov, having once again forgotten about his resentment, offers him help in “taking away” the governor’s daughter, and for only 3,000 rubles.

The inner world of Nozdryov

This landowner, like other heroes of Gogol’s poem, seems to transfer the outlines of his own soul onto the outlines of everyday life. Everything in his house is arranged in a stupid way. Wooden trestles stand in the middle of the dining room, there are no papers or books in the office, supposedly Turkish daggers hang on the wall (Chichikov sees the name of the master on one of them - Savely Sibiryakov). Nozdryov calls his favorite organ an organ.

Gogol compares the depraved and upset soul of the landowner with this spoiled organ-organ, which played not without pleasantness, but in the middle something went wrong, since the mazurka ended with the song “Malbrug went on a hike,” which, in turn, ended with some familiar waltz. The landowner had long ago stopped turning it, but in this barrel organ there was one lively pipe that did not want to calm down, and whistled alone for a long time. Of course, in the crippled souls of Gogol’s heroes, these “God’s pipes” are very noticeable, sometimes whistling on their own and confusing well-thought-out, impeccably and logically planned scams.

How Chichikov reveals himself in his relationship with Nozdrev

Chichikov's attitude towards Nozdryov reveals inner world Gogol's swindler. Running away from the landowner who is making another “story,” the hunter for “dead souls” cannot understand why he went to the estate, why he trusted him, “like a child, like a fool.” However, it was not by chance that he was seduced by this landowner: by nature, he is also an adventurer who, in order to achieve selfish goals, without a twinge of conscience, can step over all moral laws. Concluding our discussion of the topic “Chichikov’s attitude towards Nozdryov,” we note that the former is no less capable of lying, deceiving, and even shedding tears at the same time than the latter.

History of creation:

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol worked on the poem “Dead Souls” abroad. The first volume was published in 1841. The writer planned to write the poem in three parts. His task in this work was to show Rossi from the negative side, as he himself said - “from one side.”

This poem shows a separate landowner Chichikov, Russian society, Russian people, economy (economy of landowners).

The title “Dead Souls”, I think has double meaning. On the one hand, N.V. Gogol included in the title the souls of the dead peasants, about whom so much is said in the poem. On the other hand, these are the “Dead Souls” of landowners. The writer showed here all the callousness, the emptiness of the soul, the idleness of life, all the ignorance of the landowners.

The story about Captain Kopeikin shows the attitude of officials towards to the common people, the fact that the state does not respect people who gave their health, and in many cases, their lives for it; that the state for which they fought in the War of 1812 does not fulfill its promises, does not care about these people.

There are many episodes in this poem. I think they can even be divided into groups. One group is the episodes of Chichikov’s visits to landowners. I think this group is the most important in the poem. I want to describe, perhaps even comment on, one episode from this group - this is the episode when Chichikov visits the landowner Nozdryov. The action took place in the fourth chapter.

After visiting Korobochka, Chichikov stopped at the tavern for lunch and to give the horses a rest. He asked the owner of the tavern about the landowners, and, as was his custom, Chichikov began asking the owner about her family and life. As he talked and ate, he heard the sound of the wheels of an approaching carriage. Nozdryov and his companion, son-in-law Mezhuev, got out of the chaise.

Then we went to the office. There they had a disagreement due to our hero’s reluctance to play cards. Before the quarrel, Chichikov offered to buy “dead souls” from Nozdryov. Nozdryov began to set his own conditions, but Chichikov did not accept any of them.

After the conversation, Chichikov was left alone with himself.

The next day they began to play checkers on the condition: if our hero wins, then his soul; if he loses, then “there is no trial.” The author characterizes Nozdryov as follows: “He was of average height, a very well-built fellow, with full pleasant cheeks, teeth white as snow and jet-black sideburns. It was fresh, like blood and salt; his health seemed to be dripping from his face.”

Nodryov joined our hero, told about the fair, that he was blown to smithereens there. Then Chichikov, Nozdryov and Mezhuev’s son-in-law went to Nozdryov’s. After dinner, Mezhuev’s son-in-law left. Chichikov and Nozdryov, as usual, began to “cheat.” Chichikov noticed this and became indignant, after which a quarrel ensued and they began waving their hands at each other. Nozdryov called his servants Pavlusha and Porfiry and began shouting to them: “Beat him, beat him!” Chichikov turned pale, his soul “sank to his feet.” And if it weren’t for the police captain, who entered the room to announce to Nozdryov that he was in custody for inflicting a personal insult with rods while drunk on the landowner Maximov; be our hero severely crippled. While the captain was announcing the notice to Nozdryov, Chichikov quickly took his hat, went downstairs, got into the chaise and ordered Selifan to drive the horses at full speed.

I think the theme of this episode was to show and characterize a person who played an important role in the life of our hero. In my opinion,
N.V. Gogol also wanted to show with this episode all the “recklessness” of the young landowners, including Nozdryov. Here the writer showed how young landowners like Nozdryov, and in principle like all landowners, do nothing more than “hang around” at balls and fairs, play cards, drink “ungodly,” think only about themselves and how to be mean to others.

Episode Role:

This episode played a big role in the poem; Nozdryov, annoyed with Chichikov when he visited him, betrayed him at the governor’s ball. But Chichikov was saved by the fact that everyone knew Nozdryov as a liar, a hypocrite, a bully, so his words were perceived as “the ravings of a madman,” as a joke, as a lie, whatever, but not as the truth.

While reading this episode, my impressions varied from beginning to end. At the beginning of the episode, the actions were not very interesting for me: this is when Chichikov met Nozdryov, how they were driving to his house. Then I gradually began to be indignant at Nozdryov’s boorish behavior - this is when, after dinner, Chichikov offered to buy “dead souls” from him, and Nozdryov began to wonder why he needed this. All of Chichikov’s attempts to pull the wool over Nozdryov’s ears were thwarted by him. Nozdryov said that Chichikov was a big swindler and that if he were his boss, he would have hanged him from the first tree. While reading, I was outraged by Nozdryov’s behavior towards Chichikov; after all, Chichikov is his guest.

Then exciting actions took place, this is when the next day after Chichikov arrived at Nozdryov’s, they began to play checkers. I have already stated this point. I was worried about the situation that was heating up during the game of checkers; things were heading towards a quarrel, a fight.

There were a lot of things that happened in this episode, but those were the actions that stayed with me.

Artistic details:

First, let's see how the author describes the tavern: “A darkened wooden, narrow, hospitable canopy on carved wooden posts, similar to ancient church candlesticks; the tavern was something like a Russian hut, several in large size, carved patterned cornices made of fresh wood around the windows and under the roof sharply and vividly dazzled its dark walls; there were jugs of flowers painted on the shutters; narrow wooden staircase, wide entryway. The interior of the tavern: a frost-covered samovar, scraped walls, a three-coal cabinet with teapots and cups in the corner, gilded porcelain eggs in front of images hanging on blue and red ribbons, a recently fallen cat, a mirror showing four eyes instead of two, and some kind of face instead flatbread; finally, bunches of fragrant herbs and carnations were stuck near the images, dried to such an extent that those who wanted to smell them only sneezed, and nothing more.”

Let's move on to the description of Nozdryov's household: in the house there were wooden trestles in the middle of the dining room. In the stable there were two mares, one dappled gray, the other a brown stallion, empty stalls; a pond, a water mill, where there was not enough flutter; forge. Nozdryov’s office: “There were no visible traces of books or paper in it, only sabers and two guns hung.” This suggests that Nozdryov was not interested in anything, did not take care of his farming, everything was neglected.

The hero's inner world in this episode:

Let's pay attention to the inner world of our hero in this episode. Here Chichikov at some points did not know what to answer Nozdryov to his annoying questions. It was in moments like this when Nozdryov asked him: “Why do you need them (dead souls)?”

In this episode, Chichikov, I think, felt awkward because of Nozdryov’s boorish behavior: he is offended by him, since our hero’s pride was affected. After Chichikov quarreled with Nozdryov after dinner because he did not play cards with him, he remained in the most unfavorable mood. The author describes his thoughts and feelings this way: “He was internally annoyed with himself for visiting them and wasting his time. But he scolded himself even more for talking to Nozdryov about the matter, acting carelessly, like a child, like a fool: for the matter was not at all of the kind that should be entrusted to Nozdryov. Nozdryov is a rubbish person, Nozdryov can lie, add, spread rumors and the devil knows what kind of gossip, it’s not good, it’s not good. “I’m just a fool,” he said to himself.”

I think that in this episode Chichikov behaved tolerantly and restrained, despite Nozdryov’s boorish behavior. But this is understandable, because our hero wants to achieve his goal at any cost.

In my opinion, the author wanted to show with this episode that not everything in life is as simple as one would like. That if everything turned out fine with Korobochka, then with Nozdryov everything went very abnormally - in life there are both white and black stripes.

I also think that this episode teaches us that we need to know a person very well, study him carefully before trusting him. After all, what happened with Chichikov: he trusted Nozdryov about the “dead souls,” and Nozdryov betrayed him by telling everyone about this matter.

But I repeat, Chichikov was saved by the fact that everyone considered Nozdryov a liar, no one believed him. Such luck may not happen in life.