Provincial landowners in Russian literature. In which works of Russian literature are images of landowners presented?

BULLETIN OF PERM UNIVERSITY

2015 RUSSIAN AND FOREIGN PHILOLOGY Vol. 2(30)

UDC 821.161.1 “18”

IMAGES OF ANGLOMANIAN LANDSCAPE IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE OF THE 19TH CENTURY

Marina Vladimirovna Tsvetkova

D. philol. Sc., Professor of the Department of Applied Linguistics and intercultural communication

National Research University Higher School of Economics - Nizhny Novgorod

603155, Nizhny Novgorod, st. Bolshaya Pecherskaya, 25/12. [email protected]

The article is devoted to the study of the image of Anglomaniac landowners in Russian literature of the 19th century. The material for analysis was the works of A.S. Pushkin “The Young Lady-Peasant Woman” and I.S. Turgenev " Noble Nest" and "Fathers and Sons", which trace the main trends in the depiction of Anglomaniac landowners in Russian literature of the named period. Passion for the English way of life, the way of farming, the system of education and upbringing is invariably presented in a comical way as deeply alien to the Russian spirit. Anglomania in the works of both authors is presented as a superficial phenomenon that does not deeply affect either the soul or consciousness of the heroes. The discovered and described trends are projected at the same time onto the attitude towards England and the British in Russian society of the 19th century.

Key words: images of Anglomaniac landowners; imagology; Russian literature of the 19th century; A.S. Pushkin; "The Young Lady-Peasant"; I.S. Turgenev; "Noble Nest"; "Fathers and Sons".

The study of images of “us” and “stranger” is one of the most popular trends in modern literary studies, linguistics, cultural studies, and history. Its relevance is evidenced by the emergence of a special direction of humanitarian knowledge, called “imagology”, which deals with the formation of the image of the “alien”, “other” in literature, culture and public consciousness different nations[Oshchepkov 2010: 251]. In Russian literary criticism, imagology today has occupied its niche within the framework of comparative studies, which is confirmed, in particular, by the appearance of the fundamental work of O.Yu. Polyakova and O.A. Polyakova “Imagology: theoretical and methodological foundations” [Polyakov, Polyakova 2013].

In our country, the beginning of the study of the image of Russia and Russians in English literature was laid by one of the largest Russian Englishists of the last century, N.P. Michalskaya [Michalskaya 1995]. In the 21st century Studies of similar topics, carried out by both literary scholars and historians, appeared with enviable regularity. It is enough to mention the works of E.Yu. Artemova [Artemova 2000],

S.A. Danilina [Danilin 2006],

L.F. Khabibullina [Khabibullina 2010] and others. It is impossible not to note the works built on the “reverse perspective”, in which the focus was on the image of other cultures in Russian literature; so, N.V. Butkova [Butkova 2001] turned to the image of Germany and the Germans in the works of Turgenev and Dostoevsky, V.A. Khorev [Khorev 2005] - to the image of Poland and Poles in Russian literature. However, the evolution of the image of an Englishman, as well as the process of forming attitudes towards everything English, in Russian literature remain almost unstudied to this day. However, such a study could shed additional light on current state Russian-British relations, allowing us to understand their roots, since national literature is a reflection of the people’s worldview and a subtle tool for identifying changes occurring in it. Thus, the analysis of the images of Anglomaniac landowners in Russian literature proposed in the article has both novelty and practical value.

XIX century was chosen for study not by chance: cultural historians note that from the end of the 18th century

century in Russia, along with Gallomania, which is gradually declining, Anglomania begins to develop. This process was determined by two factors: the French bourgeois revolution, which horrified the Russian aristocracy and disappointed the progressive-minded public, on the one hand, and the impressive successes of Great Britain in political, economic and cultural terms, on the other. The War of 1812 strengthened trade and cultural ties with Britain, which contributed to the growth of interest in the government institutions of this country and the economic theories developed by its scientists.

The first Anglomaniacs appeared in Russia at the end of the 18th century, which was largely due to the personal interest in England of Empress Catherine II, which coincided with the growing popularity of this country throughout Europe. A passion for English culture during this period was characteristic primarily of those educated representatives of the Russian aristocracy who themselves visited England and experienced the influence of its culture, which had already entered its period of rapid flourishing. It is enough to recall the Edinburgh salon of 1776 - 1779. E.R. Dashkova, librarian of the Empress V.P. Petrov, writer S.S. Bobrov, M.I. Pleshcheev, who appeared in print under the pseudonym “Angloman”, and others.

What attracted educated Russians of that time to Great Britain is clearly visible in “Notes of a Russian Traveler” by Nikolai Karamzin, where the author gives a detailed description of English life and English character as he saw them during his trip to this country. He notes the peculiar sense of humor and eccentricity of the British, their keen sense of justice and love of charity, the reliability of their word, as well as their idea of freedom based on the Magna Carta. The British vision of freedom, which Karamzin formulates as “... I live where I want; I am confident in what I have, I am not afraid of anything except the laws” [Karamzin 1988: 475], could not help but amaze the imagination of contemporaries living in a state where the abolition of serfdom still had to wait three quarters of a century.

There were quite a lot of educated travelers like Karamzin who visited England and experienced its influence, as a result of which the English manner of dressing in the first half of the 19th century. competes more and more successfully with French fashion (Pushkin’s Onegin is “dressed like a London dandy”), and instead of French governesses they are increasingly invited

English governesses. As for the English language, it never achieved the degree of popularity that French had in high circles, which at the beginning of the century practically replaced the Russian language in salons. Nevertheless, English has become widespread in society, as evidenced by a study conducted by M.P. Alekseev [Alekseev 1976]. Memoirs and diaries of contemporaries confirm that at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. There were quite a lot of Anglophiles among Russians (see, for example, “Notes” by F.F. Vigel (1786-1856) [Vigel 2000], “My Memoirs” by Pushkin’s lyceum friend A.I. Delvig (1798-1831) [Delvig 1912] ).

TO mid-19th century V. Political relations between Russia and Great Britain, already difficult, have deteriorated to the limit. In 1853 the Crimean War broke out. By this time, admiration for England in Russian society had gradually faded away, although from the novel by L.N. Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina", written in 1873-1877, shows how deeply English influence had taken root in the aristocratic environment by this time. Whole line heroes are here english names: Betsy, Dolly, Kitty, even Steve is derived from the English Steve. It is interesting that in the historical epic “War and Peace,” where the action is moved to the very beginning of the 19th century, many of the characters have French names: Helen, Anatole, Julie, etc. A comparison of the names of the characters in two Tolstoy novels convincingly demonstrates the changes that took place in the Russian mentality from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. About what place English occupied among other languages in the middle of the century foreign languages, one can draw a conclusion from Turgenev’s casual description of Vladimir Nikolaevich Panshin in “The Noble Nest,” who is shown as a man who knows how to live: he “speaked French excellently, English well, German poorly” [Turgenev 1954a:112] .

Review of Russian classics of the 19th century. allows us to assert that the images associated with England, typical of that era, can be divided into three categories - these are English travelers (“And the stray traveler, over-starched impudent / When visiting, he raised a smile / With his caring posture / And the silently exchanged glance / there was a general verdict on him "[Pushkin 1986: 325] on the pages of Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin" and the British traveling couple in Lermontov's novel "Princess Ligovskaya", English governesses (Pushkin's Miss Jackson from "The Young Lady the Peasant" and Chekhov's Miss Tfais from

“Daughters of Albion”), as well as Russian Anglomaniac landowners, whose images are vividly represented by Pushkin in “The Young Peasant Lady” and Turgenev in “The Noble Nest” and “Fathers and Sons”.

In “The Peasant Young Lady” the Anglomaniac is Grigory Ivanovich Muromsky. Pushkin writes about him that he was “a real Russian gentleman.” Having squandered most of his estate, he left for his last village, where he “continued to play pranks, but in a new way”: he planted an English garden, on which he spent almost all his remaining income, dressed the grooms as English jockeys, got an English governess for his daughters, and turned the fields into process according to the English method. Thus, Anglomanism is presented by Pushkin as a tendency to “be weird”, characteristic of the Russian landed nobility generally. It is significant that in the above description the passion for everything English turns out to be put on the same scale with extravagance, the result of which was Muromsky’s departure from the capital. Pushkin treats Muromsky's innovations with irony bordering on sarcasm. Having mentioned the English agricultural method, he summarizes: “But Russian bread will not be born in someone else’s way” [Pushkin 1960: 100], and therefore Muromsky did not have any benefit from the transformations he carried out and even continued to go into debt. The author also describes the critical attitude of other landowners towards their neighbor's Anglomania. His most fierce opponent was Berestov, who, showing the guest his possessions, in response to praise for his economic orders, said with a sly grin: “Yes, sir!<.. .>My life is different from that of my neighbor Grigory Ivanovich. Where can we go broke in English! If only we were at least full in Russian” [ibid.]. Thus, in “The Peasant Young Lady,” the passion for everything English, which was gaining momentum at the time when Pushkin was working on the story, is presented as a phenomenon deeply alien to Russian life, taking on absurd and comic forms when confronted with it.

In “The Noble Nest” Ivan Petrovich Lavretsky is shown as an Anglomaniac. His image is very accurately presented by Turgenev as a “product” of a combination of Gallo- and Anglophilia, characteristic, apparently, of the first half of the 19th century V. Raised by a French tutor - a former abbot who fled to Russia from the horrors of the French Revolution, Ivan Petrovich absorbed the ideas of freethinking, which were expressed in the fact that, against the will of his parents, he married a serf, from whom he immediately left for the capital, ashamed to take her with you. In the future,

Superficially acquired French ideals were intricately mixed in his mind with the English ones, which he had acquired during the years he spent in Great Britain at the Russian mission in London.

Ivan Petrovich came to Russia as an Anglomaniac, as Turgenev put it, “everything in him smelled like Great Britain; he all seemed imbued with her spirit” [Turgenev 1954a: 131]. His passion for England was expressed in his appearance (“short-cropped hair, a starched jabot, a long-skirted pea coat with many collars” [ibid.]), gastronomic preferences (“passion for bloody roast beef and port wine” [ibid.]), and also in his demeanor: “a sour facial expression, something sharp and at the same time indifferent in his address, pronunciation through clenched teeth, wooden sudden laughter, lack of a smile, exclusively political and political-economic conversation” [ibid.]. The characterization that Turgenev gives to the hero indirectly helps us understand how the image of an Englishman seemed to his contemporaries. From the above quotes it is quite obvious that he saw this image as comic.

Having portrayed Lavretsky as a complete Anglomaniac, Turgenev unexpectedly reports: “But - a wonderful thing! having turned into an Anglomaniac, Ivan Petrovich at the same time became a patriot, at least he called himself a patriot, although he knew Russia poorly, did not adhere to a single Russian habit and spoke strangely in Russian” [ibid.]. If we compare Lavretsky with the hero of the novel “Fathers and Sons” Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, who is shown as both an Anglomaniac and a Slavophile, but was convicted by Bazarov of the fact that, considering himself a patriot, he does not at all represent the needs and aspirations of the common people, then it becomes clear that such types were characteristic of Russia XIX V.

Having returned to the estate, Ivan Petrovich intends to carry out “radical transformations” [ibid.: 132], which ultimately boiled down to the fact that “new furniture from Moscow appeared; spittoons and wash tables started to appear;<...>foreign wines drove out vodka and liqueurs; people were given new liveries; the inscription was added to the family coat of arms: “in recto virtus (in legality there is virtue)” [ibid.]. "What about<...>management of estates,” Turgenev ironically notes, “then, despite Ivan Petrovich’s repeatedly expressed intention: to breathe life into this chaos, everything remained the same, only quitrents were added here and there, and corvee became heavier, and peasants were forbidden

address directly to Ivan Petrovich: the patriot really despised his fellow citizens” [ibid.].

Changes also affected the upbringing of his son. Ivan Petrovich announced that “he wants to make him, first of all, a “man,” un homme” [ibid.: 134]. It is significant that the author forces his Anglomaniac hero here, as in a number of other episodes, to resort to French. The method of raising a young man, described later, also demonstrates a mixture of English and French: Lavretsky “fulfillment of his intention<...>began by dressing his son in Scottish” [ibid.], made gymnastics a duty, and music, as an activity unworthy of a man, “banished him forever” [ibid.], but ordered his son to be taught natural sciences, international law, mathematics and carpentry, on the advice of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as well as heraldry to maintain knightly feelings.

The boy was woken up at four o'clock in the morning, doused with cold water, after which he had to run around a high pole on a rope, ride a horse, shoot with a crossbow, exercise his willpower at every opportunity, and every night enter into a "special book" a report of the past day and his impressions" [ibid]. The father “...for his part, wrote instructions to him in French, in which he called him mon fils and told him “vous,” although in Russian they were “ty”” [ibid.].

Leaving the estate for Moscow, Lavretsky “diligently attended the club, spoke and developed his plans in the living rooms” [ibid.], - i.e. behaved like a real Russian gentleman. However, during the period of reaction that reigned after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising, the acquired European gloss quickly slipped away from him. The former Voltairian gentleman locks himself in his estate, begins to go to bed with roosters, take a steam bath, go to church and order prayer services.

If Ivan Petrovich Lavretsky represented the generation of Russian Anglomaniacs of the 20s, then the hero of the novel “Fathers and Sons” Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov is a representative of the generation of the 40s. Comparing these two images, we can conclude that little has changed during the time that separated them. In Pavel Petrovich's views, English is also intertwined with French. He constantly uses French words in his speech, without finding their equivalents in Russian. At the same time, Turgenev on the pages of the novel repeatedly calls him a “gentleman” and depicts him dressed either in a dark English “suit” or in “an elegant morning suit, in English taste” [Turgenev 1954b: 138]. The author talks in detail about

how, living in the village, Pavel Petrovich “arranged his whole life according to English tastes” [ibid.: 146]. He drinks cocoa by the hour, which in the middle of the 19th century. was associated primarily with England, because it was there that special drinking houses appeared for noble people already in the 17th century, where this drink was served. In the evenings, the hero sits in front of the fireplace, which is heated with coal (the main exporter of which to Russia at that time was Great Britain), and teases his neighbors, the old-fashioned landowners, with “liberal antics” [ibid.]. However, liberal antics could not only be determined by English influence, but also be the personification of the influence of French freethinking.

When describing Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, just as when describing Lavretsky, Turgenev constantly mixes English, French and Russian in him. Describing Arkady’s arrival, he notes: “Having performed the European “shake hands”, he kissed him three times in Russian<...>and said “Welcome” [ibid: 134]. On the same page, when Arkady and Bazarov leave, Pavel Petrovich says to his brother in French: “I find that Arkady s"est dégourdi (became more cheeky).” And in the epilogue, saying goodbye, he says: “Be happy, my friends Farewell! [ibid: 272].

Kirsanov constantly peppers his speech with French words and even pronounces some Russian words in French manner(for example, the word “principles”).

Pavel Petrovich's liberalism, like Lavretsky's patriotism, is of an aristocratic nature. Turgenev ironically notes that he “always stands up for the peasants; really, when talking to them,<...>winces and sniffs cologne” [ibid.: 146].

The images of Anglomaniac landowners in all three works are united by the fact that the authors portray them with obvious irony, and their passion for the English way of life as superficial. Innovations are limited to either the appearance of a park on the estate, laid out in the English style, and the dressing of footmen in liveries of a new type (Muromsky), or the arrangement of the house in the English way (Lavretsky sets up spittoons and dressing tables, Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov sets up English washstands). At the same time, no global positive changes are taking place in the estates of Anglomaniacs: Muromsky did not have any more money from farming in the English way, Lavretsky’s situation worsened for the peasants: despite the liberal views of the owner, corvée and quitrents increased; Bazarov ironically notes that in his

There is an English washstand in the room, but the door does not close.

The passion for English culture does not deeply affect either the soul or the consciousness of the landowners described by Pushkin and Turgenev. Both authors portray the “Anglomanism” of their heroes as eccentricity, which is of little benefit to others.

The interpretation of the images of Anglomaniac heroes by the writers themselves, as well as the perception of them by those around them in their works (written in different years of the 20th century), indirectly indicates that in Russia at that time the attitude towards England and the British invariably remained wary and ironic.

Note

1 A detailed description of the passion for English culture and language in Russia at the end of the 18th century. gives M.P. Alekseev in his article “ English language in Russia and the Russian language in England" [Alekseev 1974].

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IMAGES OF SQUIRES-ANGLOMANIACS IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE

OF THE XIXTH CENTURY

Marina V. Tsvetkova

Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics and Intercultural Communication National Research University Higher School of Economics - Nizhny Novgorod

The article examines the images of squires-anglomaniacs as they are depicted in Russian literature of the XIXth century. The analysis is based on Alexander Pushkin's novel "The Squire"s Daughter", and two novels by Ivan Turgenev, "A House of Gentlefolk" and "Fathers and Sons". These novels are representative of the general way anglomaniac characters are depicted in Russian literature of the period. The squires" obsession with the English lifestyle, education, farming, housekeeping and child rearing methods is treated in a comic vein. Both authors show anglomania as a superficial phenomenon, which is not deeply rooted in the minds of their characters. The peculiarities of the representation of squires-anglomaniacs are projected onto the general attitude to England and the English in Russian society of the XIXth century.

Key words: images of anglomaniac squires; imagology; Russian literature of the XIXth century; Alexander Pushkin; “The Squire's Daughter”; Ivan Turgenev; “A House of Gentlefolk”; “Fathers and Sons”.

Introduction

§1. The principle of constructing images of landowners in the poem

§2. Image of the Box

§3. Artistic detail as a means

character characteristics

§4. Korobochka and Chichikov.

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

Poem " Dead Souls"was created by N.V. Gogol for about 17 years. Its plot was suggested by A.S. Pushkin. Gogol began working on the poem in the fall of 1835, and on May 21, 1842, “Dead Souls” appeared in print. The publication of Gogol's poem caused fierce controversy: some admired it, others saw in it slander against modern Russia and “a special world of scoundrels.” Gogol worked on the continuation of the poem until the end of his life, writing the second volume (which was later burned) and planning to create a third volume.

According to the writer’s plan, the poem should have depicted not only contemporary Russia with all its problems and shortcomings (serfdom, bureaucratic system, loss of spirituality, illusory nature, etc.), but also the basis on which the country could be reborn in a new social -economic situation. The poem “Dead Souls” was supposed to be an artistic search for a “living soul” - the type of person who could become the owner new Russia.

Gogol based the composition of the poem on the architectonics of Dante’s “Divine Comedy” - the hero’s journey, accompanied by a guide (the poet Virgil), first through the circles of hell, then, through purgatory, through the spheres of heaven. On this journey lyrical hero poems I met the souls of people burdened with sins (in the circles of hell) and marked by grace (in heaven). Dante's poem was a gallery of types of people embodied in artistic images famous characters from mythology and history. Gogol also wanted to create a large-scale work that would reflect not only the present of Russia, but also its future. “...What a huge, original plot... All of Rus' will appear in it!..” - Gogol wrote to Zhukovsky. But for the writer it was important to depict not the external side of Russian life, but its “soul” - internal state human spirituality. Following Dante, he created a gallery of types of people from different segments of the population and classes (landowners, officials, peasants, metropolitan society), in which psychological, class, and spiritual traits were reflected in a generalized form. Each of the characters in the poem is both a typical and a clearly individualized character - with his own characteristics of behavior and speech, attitude to the world and moral values. Gogol's skill was manifested in the fact that his poem “Dead Souls” is not just a gallery of types of people, it is a collection of “souls”, among which the author is looking for a living one, capable of further development.

Gogol was going to write a work consisting of three volumes (in accordance with the architectonics of Dante’s “Divine Comedy”): “hell” of Russia, “purgatory” and “paradise” (future). When the first volume was published, the controversy that flared up around the work, especially negative assessments, shocked the writer, he went abroad and began work on the second volume. But the work was very difficult: Gogol’s views on life, art, and religion changed; he experienced a spiritual crisis; friendly ties with Belinsky were severed, who harshly criticized the writer’s ideological position expressed in “Selected Passages from Correspondence with Friends.” The second volume, practically written, was burned in a moment of mental crisis, then restored, and nine days before his death, the writer again set fire to the white manuscript of the poem. The third volume remained only in the form of an idea.

For Gogol, a deeply religious man and original writer- the most important thing was the spirituality of a person, his moral basis, and not just the external social circumstances in which contemporary Russia was located. He perceived both Rus' and its fate like a son, deeply experiencing everything that he observed in reality. Gogol saw Russia’s way out of the spiritual crisis not in economic and social transformations, but in the revival of morality, the cultivation true values, including Christian ones, in the souls of people. Therefore, the assessment that the work received in democratically minded criticism and which for a long time determined the perception of the first volume of the novel - a critical image of Russian reality, the “hell” of feudal Russia - does not exhaust the concept, plot, or poetics of the poem. Thus, the problem of the philosophical and spiritual content of the work and the definition of the main philosophical conflict in the images of “Dead Souls” arises.

The purpose of our work is to analyze one of the images of the poem from the point of view of the main philosophical conflict of the poem - the landowner Korobochka.

The main research method is literary analysis of the episode of Chichikov’s meeting with Korobochka. and analysis and interpretation of artistic details.

§1. The principle of constructing images of landowners in the poem

Home philosophical problem The poem “Dead Souls” is the problem of life and death in the human soul. This is indicated by the name itself - “dead souls”, which reflects not only the meaning of Chichikov’s adventure - the purchase of “dead”, i.e. peasants existing only on paper, in revision tales, but also, in a broader, generalized sense, the degree of deadness of the soul of each of the characters in the poem. The main conflict - life and death - is localized in the area of the internal, spiritual plane. And then the composition of the first volume of the poem is divided into three parts, which form a ring composition: Chichikov’s arrival in the district town and communication with officials - a journey from landowner to landowner “according to his own need” - return to the city, scandal and departure from the city. Thus, the central motif that organizes the entire work is the motif of travel. wanderings. Wandering as the plot basis of the work is characteristic of Russian literature and reflects the idea of searching for high meaning and truth, continuing the tradition of “walking” of Old Russian literature.

Chichikov travels through the Russian outback, through county towns and estates in search of “dead” souls, and the author accompanying the hero is in search of a “living” soul. Therefore, the gallery of landowners appearing before the reader in the first volume is a natural sequence of human types, among which the author is looking for someone who is capable of becoming the real master of the new Russia and reviving it economically, without destroying morality and spirituality. The sequence in which the landowners appear before us is built on two bases: on the one hand, the degree of deadness of the soul (in other words, is the human soul alive) and sinfulness (let’s not forget about the “circles of hell”, where souls are located according to the severity of their sins) ; on the other, the opportunity to be reborn, to gain vitality, which Gogol understands as spirituality.

In the sequence of images of landowners, these two lines combine and create a double structure: each subsequent character is in a lower “circle”, the degree of his sin is heavier, death in his soul increasingly replaces life, and at the same time, each subsequent character is closer to rebirth, because According to Christian philosophy, the lower a person has fallen, the heavier his sin, the greater his suffering, the closer he is to salvation. The correctness of this interpretation is confirmed by the fact that, firstly, each subsequent landowner has a more and more detailed history of his previous life (and if a person has a past, then a future is possible), secondly, in excerpts from the burned second volume and sketches for the third, it is known that Gogol was preparing a revival for two characters - the scoundrel Chichikov and the “hole in humanity” Plyushkin, i.e. to those who are in the first volume at the very bottom of spiritual “hell”.

Therefore, we will consider the image of the landowner Korobochka from several positions:

How do life and death compare in the character’s soul?

What is Korobochka’s “sin”, and why is she between Manilov and Nozdryov?

How close is she to revival?

§2. Image of the Box

Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka is a landowner, the widow of a college secretary, a very thrifty and thrifty elderly woman. Her village is small, but everything in it is in good order, the farm is flourishing and, apparently, brings in a good income. Korobochka compares favorably with Manilov: she knows all her peasants (“... she didn’t keep any notes or lists, but knew almost everyone by heart”), speaks of them as good workers (“all are nice people, all workers.” Hereinafter quoted . according to the edition: Gogol N.V. Collected works in eight volumes. - (Library “Ogonyok”: domestic classics) - T.5. “Dead Souls” - M., 1984.), she is engaged in housekeeping. - “she fixed her eyes on the housekeeper,” “little by little she moved into economic life.” Judging by the fact that, when asking Chichikov who he is, she lists those people with whom she constantly communicates: the assessor, merchants, the archpriest, her social circle is small and is connected mainly with economic affairs - trade and the payment of state taxes.

Apparently, she rarely goes to the city and does not communicate with her neighbors, because when asked about Manilov, he answers that there is no such landowner, and names old noble families that are more appropriate in a classic comedy of the 18th century - Bobrov, Kanapatiev, Pleshakov, Kharpakin. In the same row is the surname Svinin, which draws a direct parallel with Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” (Mitrofanushka’s mother and uncle are Svinin).

Korobochka’s behavior, her address to the guest “father”, the desire to serve (Chichikov called himself a nobleman), to treat her, to arrange for an overnight stay as best as possible - all these are characteristic features of the images of provincial landowners in the works of the 18th century. Mrs. Prostakova behaves the same way when she finds out that Starodum is a nobleman and has been accepted at court.

Korobochka, it would seem, is devout; in her speeches there are constantly sayings and expressions characteristic of a believer: “The power of the cross is with us!”, “Apparently, God sent him as a punishment,” but there is no special faith in her. When Chichikov persuades her to sell the dead peasants, promising profit, she agrees and begins to “calculate” the profit. Korobochka's confidant is the son of the archpriest, who serves in the city.

The landowner's only entertainment when she is not busy with her household is fortune-telling on cards - “I decided to make fortunes on cards at night after prayer...”. And she spends her evenings with the maid.

Korobochka's portrait is not as detailed as the portraits of other landowners and seems to be stretched out: first Chichikov hears the “hoarse woman's voice” of the old servant; then “again some woman, younger than before, but very similar to her”; when he was shown into the rooms and he had time to look around, a lady came in - “an elderly woman, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, ....” The author emphasizes Korobochka’s old age, then Chichikov directly calls her an old woman to himself. The housewife’s appearance in the morning does not change much - only the sleeping cap disappears: “She was dressed better than yesterday - in a dark dress ( widow!) and no longer in a sleeping cap ( but apparently there was still a cap on his head - a day cap), but there was still something tied around the neck" ( end fashionXVIIIcentury - fichu, i.e. a small scarf that partially covered the neckline and the ends of which were tucked into the necklineAtya See Kirsanova R.M. Russian costume artistic culture 18th - first half of the 20th centuries: Experience of an encyclopedia / Ed. T.G. Morozova, V.D. Sinyukova. - M., 1995. - P.115 ).

The author's description, which follows the portrait of the hostess, on the one hand emphasizes the typicality of the character, on the other hand, gives a comprehensive description: “one of those mothers, small landowners who cry when the harvest fails ( precisely with words about crop failure and bad times begins business conversation Korobochki and Chichikova), losses and keep your head somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they are gradually gaining a little money in motley Motley - fabric from the remnants of yarn of various kinds, homespun fabric (Kirsanova) bags placed in dresser drawers. All the rubles are taken into one bag, fifty rubles into another, quarters into the third, although in appearance it seems as if there is nothing in the chest of drawers except underwear, night blouses, skeins of thread, and a ripped salop Salop - outerwear made of fur and the rich fabrics that had gone out of fashion by 1830; the name “salopnitsa” has an additional connotation of “old-fashioned” (Kirsanova). Apparently, for this purpose Gogol mentions the cloak as an indispensable attribute of such landowners. , which will then turn into a dress if the old one somehow burns out during the baking of festive cakes with all sorts of yarn. Yarn is a filling that was laid out directly on the baking cake or pancake, in other words, baked. or it will disappear on its own. But the dress will not burn or fray on its own; thrifty old lady..." This is exactly what Korobochka is, so Chichikov immediately does not stand on ceremony and gets down to business.

An important role in understanding the image of the landowner is played by the description of the estate and the decoration of the rooms in the house. This is one of the techniques for characterizing a character that Gogol uses in “Dead Souls”: the image of all landowners consists of the same set of descriptions and artistic details - the estate, rooms, interior details or significant objects, an indispensable feast (in one form or another - from a full dinner , like Sobakevich, before Plyushkin’s offer of Easter cake and wine), the owner’s manners and behavior during business negotiations and after them, attitude towards an unusual transaction, etc.

Korobochka's estate is distinguished by its strength and contentment; it is immediately clear that she is a good housewife. The courtyard into which the room's windows overlook is filled with birds and “all kinds of domestic creatures”; further on you can see vegetable gardens with “household vegetables”; fruit trees are covered with bird nets, and stuffed animals on poles are also visible - “one of them was wearing the cap of the mistress herself.” Peasant huts also show the wealth of their inhabitants. In a word, Korobochka’s farm is clearly thriving and generating sufficient profit. And the village itself is not small - eighty souls.

The description of the estate is divided into two parts - at night, in the rain, and during the day. The first description is scanty, motivated by the fact that Chichikov drives up in the dark, during heavy rain. But in this part of the text there is also an artistic detail, which, in our opinion, is essential for the further narrative - a mention of the external villa of the house: “stopped<бричка>in front of a small house, which was difficult to see in the darkness. Only one half of it was illuminated by the light coming from the windows; a puddle was still visible in front of the house, which was directly hit by the same light.” Chichikov is also greeted by the barking of dogs, which indicates that “the village was decent.” The windows of a house are a kind of eyes, and eyes, as we know, are the mirror of the soul. Therefore, the fact that Chichikov drives up to the house in the dark, only one window is illuminated and the light from it falls into a puddle, speaks, most likely, about the poverty of inner life, about the focus on one side of it, about the mundane aspirations of the owners of this house.

The “daytime” description, as mentioned earlier, emphasizes precisely this one-sidedness of Korobochka’s inner life - the focus only on economic activity, thrift and thrift.

IN brief description The rooms are primarily noted for the antiquity of their decoration: “the room was hung with old striped wallpaper; paintings with some birds; between the windows there are old small mirrors with dark frames in the shape of curled leaves; Behind every mirror there was either a letter, or an old deck of cards, or a stocking; wall clock with painted flowers on the dial...” In this description, two features clearly stand out - linguistic and artistic. Firstly, the synonyms “old”, “vintage” and “old” are used; secondly, the set of objects that catch Chichikov’s eye during a brief examination also indicates that the people living in such rooms are more drawn to the past than to the present. What is important is that flowers are mentioned several times (on the watch dial, leaves on the mirror frames) and birds. If we recall the history of the interior, we can find out that such a “design” is typical for the Rococo era, i.e. for the second half of the 18th century.

Later in the episode, the description of the room is supplemented by one more detail, which confirms the “antiqueness” of Korobochka’s life: Chichikov discovers in the morning two portraits on the wall - Kutuzov and “some old man with red cuffs on his uniform, as they were sewn on under Pavel Petrovich

In the conversation about the purchase of “dead” souls, the whole essence and character of Korobochka is revealed. At first, she cannot understand what Chichikov wants from her - dead peasants have no economic value, and therefore cannot be sold. When she realizes that the deal can be profitable for her, then bewilderment gives way to another - the desire to get the maximum benefit from the sale: after all, if someone wants to buy the dead, therefore, they are worth something and are the subject of bargaining. That is, dead souls become for her on a par with hemp, honey, flour and lard. But she has already sold everything else (as we know, quite profitably), and this is a new and unknown business for her. The desire not to undercut the price is triggered: “I started to be very afraid that this buyer would somehow cheat her,” “I was afraid at first, so as not to somehow incur a loss. Maybe you, my father, are deceiving me, but they are... they are somehow worth more”, “I’ll wait a little, maybe merchants will come, and I’ll adjust the prices”, “somehow they’ll be needed on the farm in case they’re needed...”. With her stubbornness, she infuriates Chichikov, who was counting on easy consent. This is where the epithet arises, which expresses the essence not only of Korobochka, but of the entire type of similar people - “club-headed”. The author explains that neither rank nor position in society is the reason for this property; “club-headedness” is a very common phenomenon: “someone is both respectable and even a statesman. but in reality it turns out to be a perfect Box. Once you've hacked something into your head, you can't overpower him with anything; No matter how much you present him with arguments, clear as day, everything bounces off him, like a rubber ball bounces off a wall.”

Korobochka agrees when Chichikov offers her another deal that she understands - government contracts, that is, a state supply order that paid well and was beneficial for the landowner due to its stability.

The author ends the bidding episode with a generalized discussion about the prevalence of this type of people: “Is Korobochka really standing so low on the endless ladder of human improvement? Is the abyss really that great that separates her from her sister, inaccessibly fenced by the walls of an aristocratic house with fragrant cast-iron staircases, shining copper, mahogany and carpets, yawning over an unread book in anticipation of a witty social visit, where she will have the opportunity to show off her mind and express her expressed thoughts? thoughts that, according to the laws of fashion, occupy the city for a whole week, thoughts not about what is happening in her house and on her estates, confused and upset thanks to ignorance of economic affairs, but about what political revolution is being prepared in France, what direction fashionable Catholicism has taken " The comparison of the thrifty, thrifty and practical Korobochka with the worthless society lady makes one wonder what is Korobochka’s “sin”, is it just her “club-headedness”?

Thus, we have several grounds for determining the meaning of the image of Korobochka - an indication of her “club-headedness,” i.e. getting stuck on one thought, inability and inability to consider the situation from different sides, limited thinking; comparison with the habitually established life of a society lady; the clear dominance of the past in everything related to the cultural components of human life, embodied in fashion, interior design, speech and rules of etiquette in relation to other people.

Is it a coincidence that Chichikov ends up with Korobochka after wandering along a dirty and dark road, at night, during the rain? It can be suggested that these details metaphorically reflect the nature of the image - the lack of spirituality (darkness, rare reflections of light from the window) and the aimlessness - in spiritual and moral terms - of her existence (the confusing road, by the way, the girl who accompanies Chichikov to the main road confuses right and left). Then the logical answer to the question about the landowner’s “sin” will be the absence of the life of the soul, the existence of which has collapsed to one point - the distant past, when the deceased husband was still alive, who loved to have his heels scratched before going to bed. The clock that hardly strikes the appointed hour, the flies that wake up Chichikov in the morning, the confusion of the roads to the estate, the lack of external contacts with the world - all this confirms our point of view.

Thus, Korobochka embodies a state of mind in which life is reduced to a single point and remains somewhere far behind, in the past. Therefore, the author emphasizes that Korobochka is an old woman. And no future is possible for her, therefore, it is impossible to be reborn, i.e. It is not destined to unfold life to the fullness of being.

The reason for this lies in the initially unspiritual life of a woman in Russia, in her traditional position, but not social, but psychological. The comparison with a society lady and the details about how Korobochka spends her “free time” (fortune telling on cards, housework) reflect the absence of any intellectual, cultural, spiritual life. Later in the poem, the reader will encounter an explanation of the reasons for this state of a woman and her soul in Chichikov’s monologue after meeting a beautiful stranger, when the hero discusses what happens to a pure and simple girl and how “rubbish” turns out of her.

Korobochka’s “club-headedness” also receives a precise meaning: it is not excessive practicality or commercialism, but a limited mind, which is determined by a single thought or belief and is a consequence of the general limitations of life. And it is the “club-headed” Korobochka, who never gave up the thought of a possible deception on the part of Chichikov and comes to the city to inquire “how much are dead souls these days,” becomes one of the reasons for the collapse of the hero’s adventure and his rapid flight from the city.

Why does Chichikov get to Korobochka after Manilov and before meeting Nozdryov? As was said earlier, the sequence of images of landowners is built along two lines. The first is descending: the degree of “sin” in each subsequent case becomes more severe, responsibility for the state of the soul increasingly lies with the person himself. The second is ascending: how possible is it for a character to revive his life and “resurrect” his soul?

Manilov lives quite openly - he appears in the city, is present at evenings and meetings, communicates, but his life is similar to a sentimental novel, and therefore illusory: he is very reminiscent in appearance, reasoning, and attitude towards people of the hero of sentimental and romantic works, fashionable in early XIX century. You can guess about his past - good education, short civil service, retirement, marriage and life with family on the estate. Manilov does not understand that his existence is not connected with reality, therefore he cannot realize that his life is not going as it should. If we draw a parallel with Dante's " Divine Comedy", then he is more reminiscent of sinners of the first circle, whose sin is that they are unbaptized infants or pagans. But the possibility of rebirth is closed to him for the same reason: his life is an illusion, and he does not realize it.

The box is too immersed in the material world. If Manilov is entirely in fantasy, then she is in the prose of life, and intellectual and spiritual life comes down to habitual prayers and the same habitual piety. The fixation on material things, on profit, the one-sidedness of her life is worse than Manilov’s fantasies.

Could Korobochka's life have turned out differently? Yes and no. The influence of the surrounding world, society, circumstances left their mark on her, made her inner world just the way he is. But there was still a way out - sincere faith in God. As we will see later, it is true Christian morality, from Gogol’s point of view, that is the saving force that keeps a person from spiritual fall and spiritual death. Therefore, the image of the Box cannot be considered satirical image- one-sidedness, “club-headedness” is no longer caused by laughter, but by sad reflections: “But why, among the unthinking, cheerful, carefree minutes, will another wonderful stream suddenly rush by itself: laughter has not yet had time to completely escape from the face, but has already become different among those same people, and the face was illuminated with a different light..."

A further meeting with Nozdryov - a scoundrel, a brawler and a rogue - shows that worse than the one-sidedness of life can be dishonor, a willingness to do nasty things to one’s neighbor, sometimes for no reason at all, and excessive activity that has no purpose. In this respect, Nozdryov is a kind of antipode to Korobochka: instead of one-sidedness of life - excessive scatteredness, instead of veneration of rank - contempt for any conventions, even to the point of violating the elementary norms of human relations and behavior. Gogol himself said: “...My heroes follow one after another, one more vulgar than the other.” Vulgarity is a spiritual fall, and the degree of vulgarity in life is the degree of triumph of death over life in the human soul.

So, the image of Korobochka reflects the widespread, from the author’s point of view, type of people who limit their lives to only one sphere, who “rest their foreheads” on one thing and do not see, and most importantly - do not want to see - anything that exists apart from the subject of their attention. Gogol chooses the material sphere - taking care of the household. The box reaches a level sufficient in this area for a woman, a widow, who has to manage a decent-sized estate. But her life is so concentrated on this that she does not and cannot have any other interests. That's why real life it remains in the past, and the present, and especially the future, is not life. but only existence.

§3. Artistic detail as a means of characterizing a character

In addition to the artistic details mentioned above, the episode contains references to objects that are also important for understanding the image of the Box.

An important detail is the clock: “... the wall clock began to want to strike. The hissing was immediately followed by wheezing, and finally, straining with all their might, they struck two o’clock with a sound as if someone were beating a broken pot with a stick, after which the pendulum began to calmly click again to the right and left.” A watch is always a symbol of time and the future. The lethargy, again a certain oldness of the clocks (and therefore the time) in Korobochka’s house, emphasizes the same lethargy of life.

In addition to the clock, time is also represented in Korobochka’s speech. It does not use calendar terms to designate dates, but is guided by church and folk holidays (Christmastide, Philip Fast), characteristic of popular speech. This indicates not so much the closeness of the landowner’s way of life to the folk one, but rather her lack of education.

There are two interesting artistic details that relate to parts of Korobochka's toilet: the cap on the scarecrow and the stocking behind the mirror. if the first characterizes it from the point of view of only practical orientation and the likeness of a person (after all, a scarecrow should depict a person), then the role of the second detail is unclear. It can be assumed, judging by the row “letter” - “old deck of cards” - “stocking”, that this is some kind of entertainment or girlish fortune-telling, which also confirms that Korobochka’s life is in the past.

The description of the yard and the description of the room begin with the mention of birds (chickens and turkeys in the yard, “some” birds in the paintings, “indirect clouds” of magpies and sparrows), and also additionally characterizes the essence of the mistress of the estate - her soul is down to earth, practicality is the main measure of values .

In Korobochka’s speech there are not only colloquial and folk expressions, but also words characteristic of the past era - “avantage”.

In general, we can say that the artistic detail in Gogol’s poem is a means of characterizing the character, adding nuances or implicitly indicating the essential features of the image.

§4. Korobochka and Chichikov

Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" is structured in such a way that upon careful, thoughtful reading you understand that the characters Chichikov meets - officials and landowners - are connected with the hero not only by the plot line. Firstly, the story of Chichikov himself is placed at the very end of the first volume, which means that he must also obey the laws of constructing the poem - ascending and descending lines. Secondly, Chichikov has the amazing property of immediately choosing exactly the manner of behavior and the motivation for the offer to sell “dead” souls that is most suitable for the interlocutor. Is this just a natural skill, a property of his character? As we see from Chichikov’s life story, this trait was inherent in him from the very beginning, almost from childhood - he always guessed a person’s weak point and the possibility of a “loophole into the soul.” In our opinion, this can be explained by: that the hero contains in concentrated form all these officials and landowners, whom he cleverly deceives, using them as a means of achieving personal goals. And this idea is most confirmed in the episode of the meeting with Korobochka.

Why exactly in this part of the poem, when agreement with the “club-headed” landowner has been reached, does the author give a detailed description of Chichikov’s traveling box, as if the reader is looking over his shoulder and seeing something hidden? After all, we meet with a description of the hero’s other things already in the first chapter.

If we imagine that this box is a kind of house (every character in the poem necessarily has a house, from which, in fact, the characterization begins), and Gogol’s house, its appearance and interior decoration symbolize the state of a person’s soul, his entire essence, then then Chichikov’s box characterizes him as a person with a double and even triple bottom.

The first tier is what everyone sees: an intelligent interlocutor, capable of supporting the desired topic, a respectable person, at the same time businesslike and able to have a varied and decent time. The same is in the box - in the top drawer, which can be removed, “in the very middle is a soap dish, behind the soap dish are six or seven narrow partitions for razors; then square nooks for a sandbox and an inkwell with a boat hollowed out between them for feathers, sealing wax and everything that is longer; then all sorts of partitions with lids and without lids for something shorter, filled with business cards, funeral tickets, theater tickets and others, which were folded up as souvenirs.”

The second layer of Chichikov’s personality is a businessman, a prudent and clever buyer “ dead souls" And in the box - “there was a space occupied by stacks of sheets of paper.”

And finally, what is hidden in the very depths and unknown to most people who have dealt with the hero is the main goal of the hero’s life, his dream about money and what this money gives in life - prosperity, honor, respect: “then followed the secret a drawer for money that pulled out discreetly from the side of the box. He always pulled out so hastily and was moved back at the same moment by the owner that it’s probably impossible to say how much money was there.” Here it is, the true essence of the hero - benefit, income on which his future depends.

The fact that this description is located precisely in the chapter dedicated to Korobochka emphasizes an important idea: Chichikov is also a little Korobochka, as, indeed, are Manilov, and Nozdryov, and Sobakevich, and Plyushkin. That’s why he understands people so well, that’s why he knows how to adapt, adapt to another person, because he himself is a little bit of that person.

Conclusion

The image of Korobochka is one of the gallery of human types presented in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”. The author uses various means of creating an image: direct characterization and generalization to a common type, artistic details included in the description of the estate, interior, appearance and the character's behavior. An important characteristic is the character’s reaction to Chichikov’s proposal to sell “dead” souls. The character's behavior reveals the true human essence, because the opportunity to make a profit without spending practically anything is important for landowners.

Korobochka appears before the reader as a limited, stupid old woman, whose interests relate only to farming and making a profit. There is nothing in her that leaves signs of spiritual life: no true faith, no interests, no aspirations. The only thing that worries her in a conversation with Chichikov is not to undercut the price, although the subject of the bargain is unusual and even at first frightens and bewilders her. But the reason for this is, for the most part, the education system itself and the position of women in society.

Thus, Korobochka is one of the types of landowners and human types that make up the image of Gogol’s contemporary Russia.

List of used literature

1. Gogol N.V. Collected Works in eight volumes. - (Library "Ogonyok": domestic classics) - T.5. "Dead Souls". Volume one. - M., 1984.

2. Kirsanova R.M. Costume in Russian artistic culture of the 18th - first half of the 20th centuries: Experience of an encyclopedia / Ed. T.G. Morozova, V.D. Sinyukova. - M., 1995. - P.115

3. Razumikhin A. “Dead Souls” Experience of modern reading // Literature (Appendix to “First of September”). - No. 13 (532). - April 1-7, 2004.

Essay – Images of landowners in the work “Dead Souls”. (Var 1)

Poem by N.V. Gogol’s “Dead Souls” is not only a description of the life and way of life of the Russian people in the nineteenth century, the writer in a satirical manner was able to show the most terrible human vices. According to the plot of the work main character Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov encounters them throughout his entire journey. The author clearly shows us how selfish, greedy, cruel and empty people can be - the images of the landowners of a small town clearly illustrate this.

Self-interest and greed

Chichikov's path begins with a meeting with Manilov. At first glance, it seems that a more honest, correct, kinder, more caring and nicer person cannot be found. But, as often happens, first impressions are very deceiving. Manilov is not at all worried about his relatives, and he is not interested in serfs at all. A very stupid, lazy, empty person. His attentiveness and kindness can be put in quotation marks. Chichikov quickly discovers these human vices Manilova understands that for this carefree person, the only thing that matters is his own comfort.

After Manilov, the landowner Korobochka introduced herself to Chichikov as a completely different person. She is very economical and greedy, her life is limited to everyday worries, everything counts, no extravagance. Despite this, the landowner also has positive traits- kindness and hard work, but a woman’s strong limited interests make her very stupid. Even when selling dead souls, she very reluctantly agrees to this because of her greed, saying: “...I’d better wait a little longer...”.

Cruelty and idleness

Even more unpleasant N.V. Gogol made images of other heroes of the poem - these are Nozdryov and Sobakevich. The first is a completely empty person, his life consists of constant partying, drinking and entertainment. Nozdryov spends his money only on entertainment and dubious companies. Sobakevich is the complete opposite of Nozdryov, his practicality borders on pettiness. Cunning and cruel, he trusts only himself and cares only about his money.

The deadest soul

Merge everything human vices in “Dead Souls” Gogol succeeded in the image of Plyushkin. His stinginess borders on the absurd: the landowner stores food that rots, the house is full of expensive things, they deteriorate over time. There is dirt and dust all around, he avoids his own children and collects unnecessary things.

Through the created images of landowners, the author was able to perfectly show what was happening in Russia at that time. Human vices are depicted very vividly and clearly, forcing each reader to involuntarily look into his soul and see what others may not notice.

Essay – Images of landowners in the work “Dead Souls”. (Var 2)

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is a great writer who raises important social themes in his works. So in the poem “Dead Souls” it not only describes in the smallest detail the life of that time, but also the characteristics of the landowners, their vices and shortcomings. At the center of the story is shown provincial town. There Pavel Chichikov deals with various landowners.

Opposite images

First, the main character meets Manilov. He is quite caring, honest and correct. The landowner creates an impression good man. But you shouldn't believe your first impression. Manilov only hides behind a mask of piety. This person is a real egoist who cares only about his own well-being. He is forced to demonstrate kindness in order to gain favor in this world.

The opposite of Manilov is the secretary Korobochka. She has a different set of qualities. She only cares about the household. She is not a spender, unlike the landowner. The box can be called a good woman with a kind heart. But she is practically not interested in anything, she has no occupation for her soul. The woman is always trying to save money. Even when selling dead souls, she takes time, demonstrating greed.

Pavel Chichikov has to deal with unpleasant personalities. One can safely include Sobakevich among them. This person has a distrust of the whole world. He is cruel and petty. Chichikov himself compares him to a medium-sized bear. Another unpleasant type is Nozdryov. The man spends his fortune on entertainment. He gets mixed up with dubious companies. They consist of drunkards, gamblers and other antisocial individuals.

Most interesting personality is Plyushkin. The landowner's appearance is quite awkward. It contains the features of both women and men. Plyushkin's estate is drowning in ruins. There is dirt and dust all around. He turned his house into a landfill. The man collected all sorts of rubbish. He tries not to communicate with loved ones and avoids children.

The images of landowners in the poem “Dead Souls” best characterize the state of Russia at that time. Through the described vices, the author tries to direct a person to the true path.

Other interesting topics essays

In what works of Russian literature are images of landowners presented and in what ways can these characters be compared with Plyushkin?

The images of provincial landowners are presented in the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin and in the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” by N.A. Nekrasova.

Pushkin's heroes are similar to Plyushkin in some personal qualities. Thus, the poet emphasizes the low intellectual level of provincial landowners and their low spiritual needs. Their interests do not go beyond household chores, household chores, the subject of conversation is “haymaking”, “kennel”, stories about “their relatives”. In addition, these heroes from A.S. Pushkin are individualized, they represent characteristic art types. These characters are most characteristically outlined in the scene of the ball organized in the Larins’ house on the occasion of Tatyana’s name day. Here

A.S. Pushkin presents us with images in line with the literary tradition: for example, adviser Flyanov refers us to the comedy of A.S. Griboyedov's "Woe from Wit", and the "district dandy" Petushkov, the "perky" Buyanov, Gvozdin, "an excellent owner, the owner of poor men" seem to anticipate the heroes of N.V. Gogol in the poem “Dead Souls”. Portrait details are characteristic. Pushkin’s “county dandy” Petushkov reminds us of Manilov, whose appearance was “too much of a sugary touch.” Buyanov, “in fluff, in a cap with a visor,” of course, is associated with Nozdryov: Gvozdin, the last character, reminds us of Gogol’s Plyushkin.

Thus, both A.S. Pushkin, and N.V. Gogol created certain literary types that were quite realistic and recognizable.

In the poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” by N.A. Nekrasov we also encounter images of provincial landowners. Their characteristic features are tyranny, lack of spirituality, and lack of genuine, deep interests. Such heroes in Nekrasov are the landowner Obolt-Obolduev and Prince Utyatin. Like N.V. Gogol, N.A. Nekrasov critically evaluates these characters, depicting them in satirical colors. Author's attitude already laid down in the very name of the hero - Obolt-Obolduev. The author's mockery and subtle irony are also heard in the portrait of this character:

The landowner was rosy-cheeked,

Stately, planted,

Sixty years old.

The dialogue with the peasants reveals such traits of the landowner as his longing for his old life, despotism and tyranny:

I will have mercy on whomever I want,

I'll execute whoever I want.

Law is my desire!

The fist is my police!

The blow is sparkling,

The blow is tooth-breaking,

Cheeky asshole!..

In the description of Prince Utyatin, the author’s frank sarcasm sounds:

Nose beak like a hawk's

The mustache is gray, long,

And - different eyes:

One healthy one glows,

And the left one is cloudy, cloudy,

Like a tin penny!

This hero also appears in the poem as a despot and tyrant, a man out of his mind, giving ridiculous orders to his peasants.

Thus, the heroes of the novel by A.S. Pushkin are similar to Gogol’s characters in their personal qualities. We also note the authors’ critical view of their heroes in all three works.

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Provincial landowners in Russian literature. In which works of Russian literature are images of landowners presented?

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