The story “Dead Souls,” which Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol prudently called a poem, really contains the “poetic” aspirations of the main character Chichikov in solving his quite prosaic life problems. From childhood he was left to his own devices, received an insufficient education, and even spent his youth in some hardships. Chichikov’s characterization is not much different from others. However, the young man was naturally smart and resourceful; he overcame difficult situations in his life on his own, sometimes quite successfully. Growing up and gaining experience, Chichikov learned to use numerous social Russian shortcomings to his own advantage, so that he would benefit and not be held accountable by law.

From time to time, Chichikov, while serving in some “grain place,” through negligence or out of greed, miscalculated, received a scolding from his superiors, but on the whole he was in good standing and took bribes deftly, quietly, and even artistically. And Chichikov’s characterization was an example for all other officials. A petitioner who came to Chichikov would sometimes give the amount into his hands, but he would not take it. What do you mean, we don’t take it, sir...! And he assured the person that all the necessary documents would be brought to his home today, without any “grease.” The petitioner went home, inspired, almost happy, and waited for the courier. I waited a day, then another, one week and then another. The bribe that the visitor then brought as a result of this simple combination invented by Chichikov was three times larger than the original one.

And then one day Chichikov was struck by a certain brilliant idea that promised quick and sure enrichment. “I’m looking for mittens everywhere, but they’re in my belt,” said Chichikov and set about developing his future operation to acquire dead souls. In landowner Russia there was a market at that time. In other words, it was possible to buy peasants, sell them and give them as gifts. The transaction was formalized legally, the buyer and seller drew up a serf bill of sale. The peasants were expensive, one hundred rubles and two hundred. But if you buy dead serfs from landowners, then you can do it cheaper, Chichikov thought and got down to business.

The whole point of his enterprise was to count on receiving the so-called lifting money, issued by guardianship councils throughout Russia, when relocating landowners' farms to other lands or simply acquiring serfs. Two hundred rubles per peasant, alive and healthy of course. But who will check whether he is alive or dead, Chichikov rightly believed and slowly got ready to set off on the road. Our hero arrived in the city of NN, looked around and immediately paid visits to all city officials. After a short conversation with Chichikov, the officials in him were so able to flatter and butter him up. Chichikov’s characterization was impeccable, he was welcomed everywhere and everyone was happy to see him.

Then Chichikov chose landowners who had serfs and began to visit them one by one. He made the same offer to everyone. I’ll buy, they say, dead serfs, I need them for business, but I’ll give them inexpensively, I’m not rich at the moment. The first landowner, Manilov, was such a refined dandy, had a wife and children. He was surprised by Chichikov’s request, but behaved intelligently and gave away his dead peasants for nothing. After Manilov, Chichikov ended up with the landowner Korobochka. The old woman listened, pondered and at first refused. Chichikov literally began to sweat, persuading her, citing all the obvious benefits of the deal for the landowner. And Korobochka, you know, is murmuring, I’ll find out the prices first, I’ll make inquiries, then we’ll talk.

After Korobochka, Chichikov came to Nozdryov. turned out to be a rare scoundrel, a reveler and a gambler. Chichikov got tired of it too. He offered him horses and a barrel organ instead. Play cards on dead Souls wanted or checkers. And he lowered the price; he asked for more than the living ones. Chichikov barely carried his feet away from Nozdryov. And he came to the next landowner Sobakevich. The enormous landowner Sobakevich, a fellow of small intelligence but cunning, first of all stepped on Chichikov’s foot with all his weight. Chichikov hissed in pain and jumped on one leg. Satisfied, Sobakevich invited him to dinner. And when Chichikov started business conversation, then the landowner set a price even higher than Nozdryov. After bargaining, they agreed on two rubles and a half. a brief description of Chichikova must be complemented by his ability to bargain.

The last one was the landowner Plyushkin. He had more than a thousand serfs. And there were one hundred and twenty dead, and about a hundred escaped. Chichikov bought them all. And as the conversations started in the city after his trips and shopping, Chichikov almost became a hero. But at the same time, Chichikov’s characterization was lame; many of his former friends refused to give him the house. It's just a pity that it was all in vain. Chichikov’s impeccable characterization will not help either, dead souls - they won’t become alive, they won’t be given money.

The image of Chichikov is the leading image of the poem "Dead Souls"

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“It is very doubtful,” writes Gogol, “that the hero we have chosen will please the readers.” By appearance This person is very pleasant and courteous. He knows how to talk to everyone, tell a person a pleasant compliment, insert a good word into a conversation at the right time and appropriately, charm a person with his behavior and good manners, and, finally, show off his intelligence and experience. However, all this is only the external mask of a notorious rogue and swindler, a cunning businessman.

From childhood, Chichikov embarked on the path of acquisition and from school he steadily followed the advice of his father: “Most of all, take care and save a penny, this thing is more reliable than anything in the world.” Even as a child, he quickly added to the fifty dollars given by his father: “he molded a bullfinch out of wax, painted it and sold it very profitably,” and then embarked on other speculations. Having accumulated one bag of money, he began to save another.
At the school, having “understood” the spirit of his superiors, Chichikov groveled and kowtowed to the teachers; in his certification he always had a note about “exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.” Ahead he imagined life “in all comforts, with all sorts of prosperity, carriages, a well-appointed house, delicious dinners...”

Upon leaving school, he zealously took up his service and tried to please his superiors in everything. Having become a police officer, he immediately began to take bribes, but soon a “much more extensive” field of activity opened up before him: he ended up on the commission for the construction of a “very capital” building. Here Chichikov quickly became rich, but unexpectedly his thieves' tricks were discovered, and he lost everything. Tirelessly and energetically, Chichikov again sets about creating a career and gets a job at customs, where he earns over five hundred thousand rubles. Having suffered a wreck here too, he decided on a new adventure: the acquisition of “dead souls.”

His new enterprise was based on the fact that it was beneficial for the landowners to get rid of taxes for peasants who died after the audit, since they had to pay these taxes before the next audit, which brought significant damage to the “soul owners”. Peasants who died during the period between revisions were officially listed as alive, and therefore they could be pledged to the guardianship council and thus receive a lot of money.

In order to buy dead souls, Chichikov comes to the provincial town of N.
With greater caution and foresight, he sets about implementing a far-fetched plan and, in the very first steps, displays exceptional ability to navigate. “He asked with extreme accuracy who the governor of the city was, who the chairman of the chamber was, who the prosecutor was, in a word, he did not miss a single significant official, but with even greater accuracy, if not even with participation, he asked about all the significant landowners: how many souls did they have? peasants, how far they live from the city, what their character is and how often they come to the city; asked carefully about the state of the region: were there any diseases in their province, epidemic fevers, any killer fevers, smallpox and the like, and all this and with such accuracy that showed more than just simple curiosity.” Chichikov learned in detail how to get to all public places, and made visits to “all city dignitaries,” deftly flattering everyone. Meanwhile, he had already identified the landowners he needed to visit.

In city N, he makes acquaintance with precisely those officials who, in his opinion, can be useful in preparing documents for “dead souls.” In order to ensure complete success in the upcoming business, he strives to arouse the trust and appreciation of officials, which he achieves without much difficulty.
Chichikov's ability to adapt to any situation is revealed even more clearly on a trip to the landowners. With great skill, he recognizes the character of each landowner and deftly determines his attitude towards them: pretending to be a sensitive and dreamy person, he receives “dead souls” from Manilov for free, persuades Korobochka to sell “dead souls” with a promise to buy honey, hemp, flour from her, rump and feathers. He managed to win over even the “fist” Sobakevich.

And Chichikov’s weight cannot be considered only the personification of a rogue entrepreneur. Chichikov appears before us as a living person, with the feelings of joy and grief, love and disappointment inherent in every person. True, these character traits do not make Chichikov attractive. They only create the vital fullness of the image. The constant desire for personal gain, narrowly selfish calculations and the absence of any public interests turn Chichikov into a sharply negative type. Giving a generalized description of your hero. Gogol speaks of him not only as an owner-acquirer, but also as a scoundrel.

In the image of Chichikov, Gogol exposed the new hero of Russian life, who imperiously declared the right to his existence - a bourgeois businessman, a clever entrepreneur whose goal was personal enrichment.

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

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

Hero's appearance

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

“...decent middle years...”

Other appearance features:

• full figure;
• roundness of shapes;
• pleasant appearance.

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

Hero's personality

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

“...without tribe and clan...”

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

Positive character traits of Pavel Ivanovich

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

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

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

Negative traits of a hero

The character has negative qualities. They explain why the image was perceived by society, how a real man, similarities with him were found in any environment.

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

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

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

In the fall of 1835, Gogol began working on the poem “Dead Souls,” the plot of which was suggested to him by Pushkin. Gogol had long dreamed of writing a novel about Russia, and was very grateful to Pushkin for the idea. “In this novel I want to show at least one side of all of Rus',” the writer admitted to Pushkin. In the poem, the author reflected the way of life and morals of different strata of society - landowners, officials, peasants. Explaining the idea “ Dead souls”, Gogol wrote that the images of the poem are “in no way portraits of insignificant people; on the contrary, they contain the features of those who consider themselves better than others.” Close-up landowners are depicted in the poem. Moreover, the sequence of their introduction to the reader was not chosen by Gogol by chance. Starting from Manilov and ending with Plyushkin, the author intensifies the bitter accusatory satire, shows the landowners on the principle of their increasingly strong impoverishment and moral decline. The dreamer living in the world of his dreams, Manilov is replaced by the “club-headed” Korobochka, the careless liar and sharper Nozdryov - the clumsy economic S
obakevich. This gallery of landowners is completed by Plyushkin - a greedy miser, “a hole in humanity” - that’s what Chichikov calls Plyushkin.

Among the diversity interesting characters An amazing character stands out - Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. The image of Chichikov is unifying and collective; it combines different qualities of landowners. We learn about the origin and formation of his character from the eleventh chapter of the poem. Pavel Ivanovich belonged to a poor noble family. Chichikov's father left him an inheritance of half a copper and a covenant to study diligently, please teachers and bosses and, most importantly, take care and save a penny. In his will, the father said nothing about honor, duty and dignity. Chichikov quickly realized that lofty concepts only interfere with achieving his cherished goal. Therefore, Pavlusha makes her way in life through her own efforts. At school, he tried to be a model of obedience, politeness and respect, was distinguished by exemplary behavior, and received praise from teachers. After finishing his studies, he enters the government chamber, where he does his best to please the boss and even looks after his daughter. Finding yourself in any new situation, in a new environment,
he immediately becomes “one of our own.” He has comprehended the “great secret of being liked,” he speaks with each of the characters in their language, discusses topics close to the interlocutor. This hero’s soul is still alive, but every time, drowning out the pangs of conscience, doing everything for his own benefit and building happiness on the misfortunes of other people, he kills it. Insult, deception, bribery, embezzlement, fraud at customs - Chichikov’s tools. The hero sees the meaning of life only in acquisition, accumulation. But for Chichikov, money is a means, not an end: he wants prosperity, a decent life for himself and his children. Chichikov is distinguished from other characters in the poem by his strength of character and determination. Having set himself a specific task, he stops at nothing and shows tenacity, perseverance and incredible ingenuity to achieve it.

He is not like the crowd, he is active, active and enterprising. Manilov's dreaminess and Korobochka's innocence are alien to Chichikov. He is not greedy, like Plyushkin, but also not prone to careless revelry, like Nozdryov. His entrepreneurial spirit is not like Sobakevich’s rude efficiency. All this speaks of his obvious superiority.

A characteristic feature of Chichikov is the incredible versatility of his nature. Gogol emphasizes that people like Chichikov are not easy to unravel. Appearing in the provincial town under the guise of a landowner, Chichikov very quickly wins everyone's sympathy. He knows how to show himself as a secular, comprehensively developed and decent person. He can carry on any conversation and at the same time speaks “neither loudly nor quietly, but absolutely as it should.” He knows how to find his own special approach to each person in whom Chichikov is interested. While flaunting his goodwill towards people, he is only interested in taking advantage of their location. Chichikov “reincarnates” very easily, changes his behavior, but at the same time never forgets about his goals.

In a conversation with Manilov, he looks almost exactly like Manilov himself: he is just as courteous and sensitive. Chichikov knows very well how to make a strong impression on Manilov, and therefore does not skimp on all kinds of emotional outpourings. However, when talking with Korobochka, Chichikov does not show any particular gallantry or spiritual gentleness. He quickly unravels the essence of her character and therefore behaves cheekily and unceremoniously. You can’t get through the box with delicacy, and Chichikov, after many attempts to reason with her, “completely went beyond the boundaries of all patience, slammed his chair on the floor in his heart and promised her the devil.” When meeting Nozdryov, Chichikov flexibly adapts to his unbridled behavior. Nozdryov recognizes only “friendly” relations, speaks to Chichikov on a first-name basis, and he behaves as if they were old bosom buddies. When Nozdryov boasts, Chichikov remains silent, as if not doubting the veracity of what he heard. When meeting Sobakevich, Chichikov's directness and spontaneity completely disappear. To the dog
Vich is not touched by discussions on lofty topics. And then Chichikov enters into a gambling bargaining with him, in which each strives to outdo the other. “You can’t knock him down, he’s stubborn!” - Sobakevich thinks to himself. Chichikov has a different approach to Plyushkin: he plays the role of a generous well-wisher who wants to help a lonely and defenseless old man.

With his poem N.V. Gogol introduced the concept of “dead souls” into literature. The dead were not only those who became the subject of Chichikov’s trades with the landowners. A. I. Herzen spoke about it this way: “This title itself carries something terrifying. And he couldn’t call it any other way; not the audit dead souls, but all these Nozdrevs, Manilovs and all the others - these are dead souls, and we meet them at every step.”

Of course, Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” is one of greatest works XIX century. Belinsky called the poem “truly national work" Gogol was able to show that serfdom It cripples not only peasants, making them dumb slaves, but also landowners, turning them into parasites living at the expense of others. The images created by Gogol have transcended time. The enormous power of satirical exposure of the ugliness of the possessive world contained in the writer’s works has not lost its relevance today.

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

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

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

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

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

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