Marital status of the dead souls box. Abstract: The image of the landowner Korobochka in the poem by N.V.

§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" Volume one. - M., 1984), she herself is engaged in housekeeping - “she fixed her eyes on the housekeeper,” “little by little she moved into the household 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 associated 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 this character traits images provincial landowners in 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. Appearance 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 the sleeping cap (but apparently she still had a day cap on her head), but there was still something imposed on the neck” (the fashion of the late 18th century was fichu, i.e. a small scarf that partially covered the neckline and the ends of which were tucked into the neckline of the dress. See Kirsanova R.M. Suit in Russian artistic culture 18 - 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 an exhaustive description: “one of those mothers, small landowners who cry when the harvest fails (it is with words about crop failure and bad times that the business conversation Korobochki and Chichikova), losses and keep your head somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they are gradually collecting money in motley Motley - fabric from the remains 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.

The brief description of the rooms first of all notes 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”, “antique” 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 as 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 testifies not so much to the closeness of the landowner’s way of life to the folk one, but to 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.

The struggle between good and evil in the novel by M.A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita"

In Bulgakov's novel another one appears central characters? Margarita. We learn about her when the Master tells Ivan about her. It is important to note that before the appearance of the image of Margarita, the novel had a different title, “Prince of Darkness”...

Walter Scott and his novel "Rob Roy"

For Walter Scott, it was especially important to strike a blow at the national prejudices of the British, who often treated their northern neighbors “as a bloodthirsty people in war, treacherous during a truce, selfish, selfish, stingy...

Drama and psychologism of "The Tale of Boris and Gleb" and stories about princely crimes

“Tales of Princely Crimes” form a cycle of works about the bloody internecine war of the sons of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich for the Kiev throne. The stories cannot be separated into a separate genre, because...

Who is Eros? A beautiful boy with golden curls, a bow and arrows capable of hitting anyone not only on earth, but also on Olympus. It turns out that Eros is a deity with significant power; deity...

Metaphor of sleep in Cao Xueqin's novel "Dream in the Red Chamber"

The image of the Stone plays a huge symbolic role (the author’s title of the novel is “The History of the Stone”). Even in the ancient chronicle “Zozhuan”, a prophetic stone is described that could talk and expose lies. The image of the Stone, which has an allegorical meaning...

Mukhtar Auezov

The central character of the epic is a creative personality, a great poet, philosopher and humanist. Abai is shown in a multilateral, deep connection with the era, with the people. The stylistic diversity of the novel is organically connected with the image of the main character...

Mother Jia, Baoyu's grandmother, is very fond of Rongguo. And, according to age-old traditions, seniority should have the supreme word in any justice. Everyone in the hut, from the faithful servants to the blues and their squads, obeys her...

Symbolism of Cao Xueqin's novel "The Dream of the Red Chamber"

Another place in the palace after Jia’s mother is occupied by Baoyu’s mother, Mrs. Wang. Don’t be surprised by those who feel lustful and sad, this woman is unhappy. She has neither mother Jia's love of life nor Fengjie's energy. Mrs. Van dances smoothly, beyond welds and conflicts...

Symbolism of Cao Xueqin's novel "The Dream of the Red Chamber"

The actual ruler of the Rongguo Palace is the mother's daughter-in-law Jia Fengjie. Tsya is reasonable, the young woman, who is a faithful follower of the will of her mother, is not diminished by her attractiveness...

The system of images in the play by A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm"

First of all, we are struck by the extraordinary originality of Katerina’s character. Katerina does not at all belong to the violent character, never satisfied, who loves to destroy at any cost. On the contrary, this character is predominantly loving...

Benedict, main character novel, is a product of a new society and an involuntary continuer of the life of the previous society, which, first of all, is manifested in his appearance: Benedict has no Consequences. His mother is from the Former...

Modern society in the works of T.N. Tolstoy

Despite a large number of characters, the main character of the novel becomes the Book. The plot is based on the fact that Benedict becomes more and more subject to the thirst for reading, and he absolutely does not care what to read...

Modern society in the works of T.N. Tolstoy

One of the most mysterious creatures in the book is undoubtedly Kys. Nobody knows who it is, but there are many rumors among the people about this creature: “In the forests, old people say, a katy lives...

Methods of depicting children in Russian prose second half of the 19th century- beginning of the 20th century

One of the objectives of our work is to study the concept artistic image, so let’s look at its different interpretations. The artistic image is a category of aesthetics...

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 associated mainly with economic affairs - trade and the payment of state taxes.

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'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" ( fashion of the late 18th century - fishue, i.e. a small scarf that partially covered the neckline and the ends of which were tucked into the neckline of the dress See 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).

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 ( it is with words about crop failure and bad times that the business conversation between Korobochka and Chichikov begins), 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 salop as an indispensable attribute of such landowners, who can then turn into a dress if the old one somehow burns out during the baking of festive cakes with all sorts of yarn. - to another, 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.

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.

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 at the beginning of the 19th century. One can guess about his past - a good education, short government service, retirement, marriage and life with his 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.

Could Korobochka's life have turned out differently? Yes and no. The influence of the surrounding world, society, circumstances left their mark on her, making her inner world what it 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 Korobochka cannot be considered a satirical image - her one-sidedness, “club-headedness” no longer evokes laughter, but sad reflections: “But why, in the midst of unthinking, cheerful, carefree minutes, will another wonderful stream suddenly rush by itself: laughter has not yet had time to completely escape from the face , and already became different among the same people, and his face was illuminated with a different light..."

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. Therefore, her real life remains in the past, and the present, and especially the future, is not life. but only existence.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol created his work “Dead Souls” in 1842. In it he depicted whole line Russian landowners, created their grotesque and vivid images. One of the most interesting representatives of this class described in the poem is Korobochka. The characteristics of this heroine will be discussed in this article.

Characteristics plan

The plan according to which the analysis of the landowners - the characters of the work "Dead Souls" is carried out, includes one way or another the following points:

the first impression the hero makes;
characteristic features of this character;
speech and behavior;
the hero’s attitude towards the household;
attitude towards other people;
goals in life;
conclusions.

Let's try to analyze according to this plan the image of such a heroine as Korobochka ("Dead Souls"). Our characterization will begin with the first impression that the heroine made on Chichikov. The third chapter of the work is devoted to creating the image of Korobochka.

Chichikov's first impression

Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna is a landowner who is the widow of a very thrifty and thrifty woman, already elderly.

Her village is small, but everything in it is in good order, the economy is thriving, which brings in a good income. Korobochka compares favorably with Manilov: she knows the names of all the peasants who belong to her (quote from the text: “...knew almost all of them by heart”), speaks of them as diligent workers, and takes care of the farm on her own.

The behavior of this landowner, the address “father” to the guest, the desire to serve him (since Chichikov introduced himself as a nobleman), to provide the best possible accommodation for the night, to treat him - these are all features characteristic of the landowner class in the provinces. The portrait of Korobochka is not as detailed as the portraits of the other landowners. It seemed to be drawn out: first Chichikov heard the voice of the old maid (“a hoarse woman”), then another woman appeared, younger, but very similar to her, and finally, when he was escorted into the house and he had already looked around, she came in herself Lady Korobochka (“Dead Souls”).

The portrait characteristics of the heroine are as follows. The author describes her as an elderly woman, wearing a “sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck.” Quote characteristic Boxes ("Dead Souls") can be continued. Nikolai Vasilyevich emphasizes Korobochka’s old age in the image of the landowner; in the text further Chichikov calls her directly to himself - an old woman. This housewife especially does not change in the morning. Only her sleeping cap disappears from her image.

The box is just that, so the main character immediately discards the ceremony and gets down to business.

Attitude to the economy

We further describe such a character as Korobochka (“Dead Souls”). The characterization according to plan continues with the attitude of this heroine to the household. In understanding the image of a given landowner, a large role is played by the description of the decoration of the rooms in the house, as well as the estate as a whole, which is distinguished by contentment and strength.

It is clear in everything that this woman is a good housewife. The room's windows overlook the courtyard, which is filled with numerous birds and various "domestic creatures." Further on you can see vegetable gardens, fruit trees, covered with nets from birds, there are also stuffed animals on poles, on one of which there is “the cap of the mistress herself.”

The wealth of their inhabitants is also shown by the peasant huts. This is also noted by Gogol (“Dead Souls”). The characterization (the Box is an image also conveyed by external details) includes a description of not only the character himself, but also the environment associated with him. This must be remembered when conducting analysis. The economy of this landowner is clearly thriving, bringing her considerable profit. And the village itself is not small, it consists of eighty souls.

Characteristics

We continue to describe such a character as Korobochka (“Dead Souls”). The characteristics according to the plan are supplemented with the following details. Gogol includes this landowner among the small owners who complain about losses and crop failures and “hold their heads somewhat to one side,” and meanwhile collect a little money into “motley bags placed in the drawers of the chest of drawers.”

Manilov and Korobochka are antipodes in some way: the vulgarity of the first is hidden behind discussions about the Motherland, lofty phrases about its good, and Korobochka’s spiritual poverty appears in a natural, undisguised form. She doesn’t even pretend to be cultured: the whole appearance of the heroine emphasizes, first of all, the unpretentious simplicity that Korobochka has. The characterization of the hero “Dead Souls” also shows that this simplicity is found in Nastasya Petrovna in her relationships with people.

In the author's summary, it is noted that their decoration was ancient - striped old wallpaper, paintings depicting birds, small antique mirrors between the windows, framed in the form of leaves. Behind each of the mirrors was either a letter, a stocking, or an old deck of cards. The wall is decorated with a clock with flowers painted on the dial. Here are the items that are shown during Chichikov's short visit. They indicate that the people living in the rooms are more likely to look to the past than to the present.

Behavior

In the conversation about the acquisition of “dead” souls, the character and essence of Korobochka is fully revealed. At first, this woman cannot understand what the main character wants from her. When she finally understands what could be beneficial for her, bewilderment turns into a desire to get the greatest benefit from this transaction: because if someone needs the dead, therefore, they are the subject of bargaining, since they are worth something.

Attitude towards people

Dead souls become for Korobochka on a par with lard, flour, honey and hemp. She has already had to sell everything else (quite profitably, as we know), but this business seems unknown and new to her. This is where the desire not to sell things short comes into play. Gogol writes that she “began to be very afraid that this buyer would somehow cheat her.” The landowner infuriates Chichikov with her obstinacy, who was already counting on getting easy consent.

Here an epithet appears that expresses the essence of not only Korobochka, but also a whole landowner like this - “club-headed”.

Nikolai Vasilievich explains that neither social status, nor rank are the cause of this property. The phenomenon of "club-headedness" is very common. His representative may even be a state-owned, respectable person who turns out to be a “perfect Korobochka.” The author explains that the essence of this trait is that if a person has taken something into his head, there is no way to overpower him, regardless of the number of arguments, clear as day, everything bounces off him, just like a rubber ball flies off a wall .

Purpose in life

The main goal of life pursued by Korobochka (“Dead Souls”), the characteristics of which are presented in this article, is the consolidation of personal wealth, non-stop accumulation. The thriftiness inherent in Korobochka reveals at the same time her inner insignificance. Apart from the desire to benefit and acquire something, she has no other feelings. The image of this hoarder is devoid of some of the “attractive” features characteristic of Manilov. Her interests are completely focused on farming.

conclusions

At the end of the chapter about Korobochka, Gogol says that her image is typical; there is no significant difference between her and some representatives of the aristocracy. The author pays great attention to Chichikov's behavior, emphasizing that he behaves with this landowner more freely and simply than with Manilov.

This phenomenon is typical for Russian reality, Nikolai Vasilyevich proves how Prometheus turned into a fly. This is Korobochka (“Dead Souls”), which we characterized. It can be presented more clearly. To better understand the information, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the table that characterizes such a landowner as Korobochka (“Dead Souls”).

Characteristics (table) Boxes

Appearance of Nastasya Petrovna	Landowner's estate	Characteristics of the Box	Attitude to Chichikov's proposal
This is an elderly woman, with a flannel around her neck, wearing a cap.	Small house, old wallpaper, antique mirrors. Nothing is wasted on the farm, as evidenced by the net on the trees, as well as the cap on the scarecrow. The box taught everyone to be in order. The garden is well-kept, the yard is full of birds. Although the peasant huts are scattered, they still show the wealth of the inhabitants and are properly maintained. This landowner knows everything about every peasant, without keeping notes, and also remembers the names of the dead by heart. The unique “coat of arms” of the Box is a chest of drawers in which a turkey, a pig, and a rooster protrude from the slightly open drawers. The second row of drawers is filled with various “household vegetables,” and many bags stick out from the bottom ones.	Practical, economical, knows the value of money. Stingy, stupid, club-headed, hoarding landowner.	First of all, he is interested in why they were needed Chichikov is dead souls. He is afraid to undercut the deal. He knows exactly how many peasant souls died (18). He looks at dead people as if they were hemp or lard: they might come in handy on the farm.

The landowner Korobochka ("Dead Souls") was introduced to you. The characterization with quotes from this heroine can be supplemented. The passages devoted to the decoration of rooms, housekeeping, and the agreement with Chichikov seem very interesting. Quotes you like can be extracted from the text and supplemented with them. this characteristic. We only succinctly described such a heroine as Korobochka (“Dead Souls”). The characterization was briefly presented in order to make the reader want to continue it independently.

The image of Korobochka in the poem “Dead Souls” contains a lot for understanding not only semantic content, but also main idea poems.

It is no coincidence that he is given such an important compositional role- the arrival of a widow in the city brought disaster on the head of Gogol’s businessman.

Characteristics and description of the Box in the poem “Dead Souls”

The reader meets the venerable lady in chapter three of the first volume of the great work. It is noteworthy that the driver Selifan literally “ran into” the fence of her estate, having completely gotten lost at night, during a stormy thunderstorm - drunk, on a whim, with his eyes closed.

In such cases, people used to say, “The devil got me wrong!” And indeed, there is a lot of diabolism in the symbolism of the episode with the Box.

Arriving at the estate at two in the morning, Chichikov curled up like a pretzel in the feather beds at about three in the morning - the hour of Satan, according to popular belief.

What about the “scratch your heels” suggestion? In many legends, this part of the body is the place of greatest vulnerability among chthonic monsters - in the same artistic space No one is going to crush evil; on the contrary, it is cherished. Chichikov, of course, is not a snake-like monster, but certainly an evil spirit - the hostess herself immediately identified him with “her dead man” (deceased husband).

A travel-weary newcomer could be forgiven for falling asleep. But this detail in Gogol looks very symbolic, as well as the numerous flies that surrounded the vacationer the next morning (in Christian culture, a fly is a sign of the presence of Satan).

The name of the college secretary Nastasya is translated from Greek as “immortal”, “resurrecting”. Here it is, the messiah dead souls, messenger eternal death on the ground! Is this why there are so many birds in the interior surrounding Chichikov? These include portraits, a countless number of chickens, ducks and turkeys inhabiting a cramped courtyard, and clouds of crows. It's not just a matter of home isolation and laxity, dullness and limitations.

In fact, the image of a bird in folklore symbolizes spirituality, the connection between earth and sky, ever-regenerating life and maternal protection. Only feathered laying hens are too down-to-earth creatures: they don’t fly above their own heads - let alone the higher spheres. “Every domestic creature” surrounding the landowner symbolizes the power of the earth, matter, objectivity, and therefore death. So, after the priest, the lady is called Petrovna (from the Greek word meaning “stone”, “rock”) - and this is not a compliment to the spiritual fortitude of the bearer of the name.

And the devil is afraid of mention! Because in this house he is a true spiritual reality (one should not take his name in vain), even though during a thunderstorm the lamp in front of the icon is superstitiously lit. And after all, the widow was wondering three days before the arrival of unexpected visitors, and the horned one himself came in response to appeals about the future to his humble servant. Didn't he warn you about Chichikov? And more than once a traveling businessman, unable to restrain himself, mentioned the devil in negotiations with her.

Only in front of Nastasya Petrovna Chichikov did not rush to hide the holy of holies - his box. This container directly attracted the Box like a magnet: like is drawn to like! And in Chichikov’s box there is everything necessary to conclude a contract for the soul with Satan: pen, ink, paper, razors (according to legend, such agreements are written in blood), money and soap - to wash your hands after a bad deed, hiding visible traces.

Appearance of the Box

An elderly woman appears before the reader in a poorly put on sleeping cap and a flannel wrapped around her neck.

Such small landowners will cry to their hearts' content for crop failures and losses, while they themselves methodically and lovingly save money in dresser drawers among all sorts of clothing rubbish. It seems that the things themselves love such thrifty old ladies - they don’t wear out and last forever.

At the morning tea party with Chichikov, the secretary again sits in a dark dress, without a cap, but with a wrapped neck - a significant detail, considering that the neck is associated in the body with mobility and flexibility of consciousness.

Favorite activities

Grandmother is a religious person, but she is not averse to telling fortunes after evening prayer. He likes to complain about life: the next morning he reports to Chichikov about insomnia and aching legs, complains about crop failures, the loss of valuable workers, and the “unwanted” flour due to a crop failure.

It’s entirely up to the farm: to hospitably shelter a nobleman, to sell something, to beg for stamp paper just in case, to treat him deliciously useful person– uses every opportunity to increase income.

He is distinguished by a reverent attitude towards things: small objects and papers are placed behind the mirror frames - so that the eye “sticks” to the walls. She sees and notices everything familiar and established, but the “new and unprecedented” puts her mind into a state of stupor.

Attitude towards others

Absent! Auntie’s emotions include only fear of the unusual and hot “taunts.” Even thinking about possible profit is carried out soullessly, without intonation, without rubbing hands.

The husband is a “dead man,” the neighbors know only those closest to him and his wealth, the serfs know the monetary equivalent, the hands-on income. The children born to peasants are not people, but “small fry”: they do not work, do not bring in income - they are not even human children.

Description of the estate

In the night, “something like a roof” appeared before the travelers: the house itself is perceived as a box, the lid of which is the first thing that catches your eye. The symbolism suggests itself to be the darkest.

The room where Chichikov spent the night is covered with old striped wallpaper, with mirrors and pictures of birds - a chicken kingdom, where there are only two roosters (two male portraits - Kutuzov and the owner of a uniform from Pavlovian times). There is a clock in it - hissing like a ball of vipers and strainingly wheezing when it’s time to strike.

In the small courtyard of the estate, all kinds of domestic animals are swarming, whole clouds of crows fly from one fruit tree to another. And this herd is herded by several scarecrows with outstretched fingers (all of them looking at the landowner - as if they are trying to grab something, one is even wearing the owner’s nightcap).

Peasant houses are scattered, without clear streets: a world of pagan chaos, unspiritual matter spontaneously organizing itself. But Chichikov notices signs of material contentment: the old planks on the roofs have been replaced with new ones, the houses are clean, the gates are strong, and in some courtyards there are new carts.

Life goals

To save money and things in order to bequeath the torn cloak to some relative. Even the souls of dead peasants begin, on the spur of the moment, to be kept in reserve: “Or maybe the farm will somehow need it just in case...”.

In a conversation with the guest, a plan quickly emerged in Korobochka’s head to negotiate a contract for the supply of honey, hemp and lard, flour and cattle to the state treasury.

Why the Dead Soul Box

There is no spiritual content in the landowner - not even an imitation. All actions, thoughts and statements of the character are determined by a commercial approach to everything and everyone.

The apotheosis of form: something is constantly being put into the casket estate, simply because the emptiness requires filling.

The box is a gaping endless emptiness that fills itself, pulling things and money into itself. The latter - initially the equivalent of human labor living its own life - are not spent, but are buried in boxes and become trash.

Death to everything spiritual lives in this estate. It is no coincidence that Chichikov rested so freely here and was treated richly. And the pancakes with spices were especially good - ritual food!

First impression of the landowner

The visitor immediately recognized her as the “mother” landowner: the sovereign demiurge of the domestic world. She gives the nobleman a hospitable welcome: she persistently tries to give him tea, she orders his clothes to be dried and cleaned, and he provides him with a luxurious down feather bed, which you can’t climb onto without a chair.

Chichikov's attitude towards Korobochka

He addresses the hostess in his own way, treats her confidently, patronizingly and calls her mother. Takes her hospitality for granted.

The deal to sell dead souls turned out to be unexpectedly difficult for the gentleman. The woman turned out to be not only “strong-headed” but “club-headed.”

Chichikov considers the “damned old woman” so insignificant that he does not consider it necessary to restrain his true temperament - he swears, promises the devil to her, and curses her along with her village. Casually he makes meaningless promises about concluding a contract and does not refuse a “gastronomic” bribe.

All-consuming and devoid of any emotion. Without hesitation, she reports that she has nearly eighty people in the fortress. He remembers who died and when, dictates by heart the name of each deceased.

Having secured promises from Chichikov, she immediately began to observe the household affairs on the porch: who carried what where.

The box is a talking and moving object of its isolated, living natural production little world. The same garden scarecrow - only with a different function: to protect against external destruction and attract things and money from the space outside the gates of the estate.

Conclusion

To put it briefly: the old landowner is the lady of Chichikov’s heart, his female counterpart, Mother Goddess. Both are equally dead even to each other - they do not see each other point-blank behind their commercial aspirations.

If the visiting businessman felt a kinship with Korobochka, he could have foreseen the fatal act of the damned grandmother for him. The fear of selling out will drive her to the city to find out the “established” prices for dead souls. This is how Mr. Chichikov’s adventure will be revealed.

The image of the landowner Korobochka in the poem “Dead Souls” The third chapter of the poem is devoted to the image of Korobochka, which Gogol classifies as one of those “small landowners who complain about crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile little by little collect money in colorful bags placed in the drawers of the chest of drawers!” (or M. and Korobochka are in a way antipodes: Manilov’s vulgarity is hidden behind high phases, behind discussions about the good of the Motherland, and in Korobochka spiritual poverty appears in its natural form. Korobochka does not pretend to be high culture: in its entire appearance a very unpretentious simplicity. This is emphasized by Gogol in the heroine’s appearance: he points out her shabby and unattractive appearance. This simplicity reveals itself in her relationships with people. It is no coincidence that Chichikov sees traces of skillful management of her estate. The economy reveals her inner insignificance. She has no feelings other than the desire to acquire and benefit. The situation with the “dead is strangling” confirms that Korobochka sells peasants with the same efficiency with which she sells other items of her household. between an animate and an inanimate being. Only one thing scares her in Chichikov’s proposal: the prospect of missing something, not taking what can be obtained for “dead souls.” Korobochka is not going to give them up to Chichikov on the cheap. Gogol awarded her the epithet “club-headed.”) This money comes from the sale of a wide variety of nat products. households Korobochka understood the benefits of trade and, after much persuasion, agrees to sell such an unusual product as dead souls. The image of the hoarder Korobochka is already devoid of those “attractive” features that distinguish Manilov. And again we have a type in front of us - “one of those mothers, small landowners who... little by little collect money into colorful bags placed in dresser drawers.” Korobochka's interests are entirely concentrated on farming. “Strong-browed” and “club-headed” Nastasya Petrovna is afraid to sell herself cheap by selling dead souls to Chichikov. The “silent scene” that appears in this chapter is curious. We find similar scenes in almost all chapters showing the conclusion of Chichikov’s deal with another landowner. This is a special artistic technique, a kind of temporary stop of action: it allows you to show with particular prominence the spiritual emptiness of Pavel Ivanovich and his interlocutors. At the end of the third chapter, Gogol talks about the typicality of the image of Korobochka, the insignificance of the difference between her and another aristocratic lady. The landowner Korobochka is thrifty, “gains a little money little by little,” lives secluded in her estate, as if in a box, and her homeliness over time develops into hoarding. Narrow-mindedness and stupidity complete the character of the “club-headed” landowner, who is distrustful of everything new in life. The qualities inherent in Korobochka are typical not only among the provincial nobility. She owns a subsistence farm and trades in everything that is in it: lard, bird feathers, serfs. Everything in her house is done the old fashioned way. She carefully stores her things and saves money, putting them in bags. Everything goes into her business. In the same chapter, the author pays much attention to Chichikov’s behavior, focusing on the fact that Chichikov behaves simpler and more casually with Korobochka than with Manilov. This phenomenon is typical of Russian reality, and, proving this, the author gives lyrical digression about the transformation of Prometheus into a fly. Korobochka's nature is especially clearly revealed in the buying and selling scene. She is very afraid of selling herself short and even makes an assumption, which she herself is afraid of: “what if the dead will be useful to her in her household?” . It turns out that Korobochka’s stupidity, her “club-headedness” is not such a rare phenomenon.

Nozdryov- the third landowner from whom Chichikov is trying to buy dead souls. This is a dashing 35-year-old “talker, carouser, reckless driver.” N. lies constantly, bullies everyone indiscriminately; he is very passionate, ready to “take a shit” on his best friend without any purpose. All of N.’s behavior is explained by his dominant quality: “nimbleness and liveliness of character,” i.e. unrestrained, bordering on unconsciousness. N. doesn’t think or plan anything; he simply does not know the limits in anything. On the way to Sobakevich, in the tavern, N. intercepts Chichikov and takes him to his estate. There he quarrels to death with Chichikov: he does not agree to play cards for dead souls, and also does not want to buy a stallion of “Arab blood” and receive souls in addition. The next morning, forgetting about all the grievances, N. persuades Chichikov to play checkers with him for dead souls. Caught in cheating, N. orders Chichikov to be beaten, and only the appearance of the police captain calms him down. It is N. who almost destroys Chichikov. Confronted with him at the ball, N. shouts out loud: “he sells dead souls!”, which gives rise to a lot of the most incredible rumors. When officials call on N. to sort things out, the hero confirms all the rumors at once, without being embarrassed by their inconsistency. Later he comes to Chichikov and himself talks about all these rumors. Instantly forgetting about the insult he had caused, he sincerely offers to help Chichikov take away the governor’s daughter. The home environment fully reflects N.’s chaotic character. Everything at home is stupid: there are goats in the middle of the dining room, there are no books or papers in the office, etc. We can say that N.’s boundless lies are the other side of the Russian prowess with which N. endowed in abundance. N. is not completely empty, it’s just that his unbridled energy does not find proper use. With N. in the poem begins a series of heroes who have retained something alive in themselves. Therefore, in the “hierarchy” of heroes, he occupies a relatively high – third – place.

Makeup. Skin and hair care. Manicure