Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol worked on this work for 17 years. According to the writer's plan, the grandiose literary work was to consist of three volumes. Gogol himself more than once reported that the idea for the work was suggested to him by Pushkin. Alexander Sergeevich was also one of the first listeners of the poem.

Work on “Dead Souls” was difficult. The writer changed the concept several times and reworked certain parts. Gogol worked on the first volume alone, which was published in 1842, for six years.

A few days before his death, the writer burned the manuscript of the second volume, of which only drafts of the first four and one of the last chapters survived. The author never got around to starting the third volume.

At first Gogol believed “ Dead Souls» satirical a novel in which he intended to show “all of Rus'.” But in 1840 the writer became seriously ill, and was healed literally by a miracle. Nikolai Vasilyevich decided that this was a sign - the Creator himself was demanding that he create something that would serve the spiritual revival of Russia. Thus, the concept of “Dead Souls” was rethought. The idea arose to create a trilogy similar to Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. This is where the genre definition of the author - a poem - arose.

Gogol believed that in the first volume it was necessary to show the decomposition of serf society, its spiritual impoverishment. In the second, to give hope for cleansing " dead souls" In the third, the revival of a new Russia was already planned.

The basis of the plot the poem became an official's scam Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. Its essence was as follows. A census of serfs was carried out in Russia every 10 years. Therefore, peasants who died between censuses were considered alive according to official documents (revision tales). Chichikov’s goal is to buy up “dead souls” at a low price, and then pawn them in the guardianship council and get a lot of money. The fraudster hopes that the landowners will benefit from such a deal: they do not have to pay taxes on the deceased until the next audit. In search of “dead souls” Chichikov travels around Russia.

This plot outline allowed the author to create a social panorama of Russia. In the first chapter, Chichikov is introduced, then the author describes his meetings with landowners and officials. The last chapter is again dedicated to the swindler. The image of Chichikov and his purchase of dead souls are united storyline works.

Landowners in the poem - typical representatives people of their circle and time: spendthrifts (Manilov and Nozdrev), hoarders (Sobakevich and Korobochka). This gallery is completed by a spender and a hoarder rolled into one - Plyushkin.

Image of Manilov especially successful. This hero gave the name to a whole phenomenon of Russian reality - “Manilovism”. In his interactions with others, Manilov is soft to the point of cloying, loving posing in everything, but an empty and completely inactive owner. Gogol showed a sentimental dreamer who can only arrange the ashes knocked out of a pipe in beautiful rows. Manilov is stupid and lives in the world of his useless fantasies.

landowner Nozdryov, on the contrary, is very active. But his ebullient energy is not directed at all to economic concerns. Nozdryov is a gambler, a spendthrift, a reveler, a braggart, an empty and frivolous person. If Manilov strives to please everyone, then Nozdryov constantly causes mischief. Not out of malice, really, that’s his nature.

Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka- a type of economical, but narrow-minded and conservative landowner, quite tight-fisted. Her interests include pantry, barns and poultry houses. Korobochka even went to the nearest town twice in her life. In everything that goes beyond her daily concerns, the landowner is impossibly stupid. The author calls her “club-headed.”

Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich the writer identifies it with a bear: he is clumsy and clumsy, but strong and strong. The landowner is primarily interested in the practicality and durability of things, and not in their beauty. Sobakevich, despite his rough appearance, has a sharp mind and cunning. This is an evil and dangerous predator, the only landowner capable of accepting the new capitalist way of life. Gogol notes that the time for such cruel business people is coming.

Image of Plyushkin does not fit into any framework. The old man himself is malnourished, starving the peasants, and in his pantries a lot of food is rotting, Plyushkin’s chests are full expensive things which are falling into disrepair. Incredible stinginess deprives this man of his family.

The bureaucracy in “Dead Souls” is a thoroughly corrupt company of thieves and swindlers. In the system of city bureaucracy, the writer paints with large strokes the image of a “jug’s snout”, ready to sell his own mother for a bribe. The narrow-minded police chief and alarmist prosecutor, who died of fear because of Chichikov’s scam, is no better.

The main character is a rogue, in whom some traits of other characters are discernible. He is amiable and prone to posing (Manilov), petty (Korobochka), greedy (Plyushkin), enterprising (Sobakevich), narcissistic (Nozdryov). Among officials, Pavel Ivanovich feels confident because he has passed all the universities of fraud and bribery. But Chichikov is smarter and more educated than those with whom he deals. He is an excellent psychologist: he delights provincial society, masterfully negotiates with each landowner.

The writer put a special meaning into the title of the poem. These are not only dead peasants that Chichikov buys up. Under " dead souls“Gogol understands the emptiness and lack of spirituality of his characters. There is nothing sacred for the money-grubbing Chichikov. Plyushkin has lost all human semblance. The box doesn’t mind digging up coffins for profit. At Nozdrev's, only the dogs have a good life; their own children are abandoned. Manilov's soul sleeps soundly. There is not a drop of decency and nobility in Sobakevich.

The landowners in the second volume look different. Tentetnikov- a philosopher disillusioned with everything. He is immersed in thought and does not do housework, but is smart and talented. Kostanzhoglo and a completely exemplary landowner. Millionaire Murazov also endearing. He forgives Chichikov and stands up for him, helping Khlobuev.

But we never saw the rebirth of the main character. A person who has allowed a “golden calf” into his soul, a bribe-taker, an embezzler and a swindler, is unlikely to be able to become different.

During his life, the writer did not find the answer to the main question: where is Rus' rushing like a fast troika? But “Dead Souls” remains a reflection of Russia in the 30s of the 19th century and an amazing gallery satirical images, many of which have become household names. “Dead Souls” is a striking phenomenon in Russian literature. The poem opened up a whole direction in her, which Belinsky called "critical realism".

The artistic depth and scale of the work “Dead Souls” indicate that it can well be considered the main one in creative biography Nikolai Gogol. The author worked long and painstakingly on its creation, starting with the understanding that, first of all, the writer should pass through all the problems and the storyline, as well as the character of the characters, through himself. Let's analyze the analysis of "Dead Souls" by Nikolai Gogol.

The humble beginning of a great poem

We will begin our analysis of Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" with the fact that in the first volume of the work the author outlined only general features and called it a "pale beginning." How did Gogol come up with the idea for the plot, because in order to think through such a serious thing in detail, you need an appropriate approach and a solid foundation?

It turns out that the idea to take up new poem It was given to Gogol by none other than Alexander Pushkin. The poet said that he had a plot in his outline that he himself would like to use, but recommended that Nikolai Vasilyevich do it. But it is important to remember that the most important thing: Pushkin “suggested” the leading idea of ​​the poem, and he outlined the plot in general outline. Gogol himself perfectly developed the storyline, because he knew a lot real stories, which were based on various scams involving “dead souls.”

For example, let’s include in the analysis of the poem “Dead Souls” one such incident from Gogol’s life. When he was still a very young man and lived in Mirgorod, he heard a similar story in sufficient detail - it was advantageous to count some serfs who had already died as alive, at least until the upcoming audit. This practice spread throughout Russia, and on official papers only after an audit such peasants began to be considered dead. In view of this, until the so-called “revision fairy tale,” landowners had to continue paying taxes in the form of a poll tax.

What is the essence of the “dead souls” scam?

When a peasant remained “alive” only on official papers, he could be given away, sold or mortgaged, which was beneficial in some fraudulent scams. The landowner could be tempted by the fact that the serf did not bring more income, but this way you could get some money for him. There was a buyer who, if the transaction was completed, began to own a very real fortune.

Initially, Gogol, taking into account this basis of the scam, defined for his work such a genre as an adventurous picaresque novel. Some authors of that time already wrote in this spirit, and their novels enjoyed quite a lot of success, although their artistic level was not so high. In the course of his work, Gogol modified the genre, and this is an important detail in the analysis of the poem “Dead Souls”. After the general idea of ​​the work became clear and the idea was clearly formed, Gogol himself designated the genre - poem. Therefore, from an adventurous picaresque novel, it turned into a poem.

Analysis of the poem "Dead Souls" - features of the work

If we talk about the scale of Gogol’s idea in relation to the poem “Dead Souls,” we can see how it grew, because initially the author wanted to reflect only “one side” of Russia, and later with his thesis Gogol showed that he had revised not only the genre model, but also wealth of ideas. The essence of his thesis lies in the thought: “all Rus'” should be reflected in the poem. The new idea was so broad and rich that it was practically impossible to realize it within the tight confines of an adventurous picaresque novel. Therefore, this genre began to play the role of a shell, but lost main role.

Let's talk a little about the main character of the poem, Chichikov. His origins are shrouded in mystery, and this is the very technique that Gogol used to fully reveal his image. Analyzing the poem "Dead Souls", it becomes quite obvious that Chichikov is a man in the middle. He doesn’t have a bad appearance, that is, you can’t call him handsome, and he’s not ugly. He is not thick, and not thin. The age is also unclear - not young, but at the same time not old. As readers, we do not know Chichikov's life story until we reach the last chapter.

In the eleventh chapter, the vulgar nature of this man becomes visible. His origins are again said very vaguely, again it is emphasized that he is not vile, but also not of a heroic type. Chichikov's main quality is that he is an “acquirer.” One can draw conclusions from the way Gogol calls him an “average” person. This means that he is not particularly different from everyone else, but in his character a trait inherent in many is strengthened - Chichikov is ready to make money, to chase a beautiful life, and at the same time he has almost no deep goals in life, and he is spiritually empty.

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is one of the most mysterious writers of the 19th century. His life and work are full of mysticism and secrets. Our article will help you prepare qualitatively for a literature lesson, for the Unified State Exam, test assignments, creative works according to the poem. When analyzing Gogol’s work “Dead Souls” in grade 9, it is important to rely on additional material in order to familiarize yourself with the history of creation, issues, and understand what artistic media used by the author. In “Dead Souls” the analysis is specific due to its substantive scope and compositional features works.

Brief Analysis

Year of writing– 1835 -1842 The first volume was published in 1842.

History of creation– the idea for the plot was suggested to Gogol by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The author worked on the poem for about 17 years.

Subject- the morals and life of landowners in Rus' in the 30s of the 19th century, a gallery of human vices.

Composition– 11 chapters of the first volume, united by the image of the main character – Chichikov. Several chapters of the second volume that survived and were found and published.

Direction– realism. The poem also has romantic features, but they are secondary.

History of creation

Nikolai Vasilyevich wrote his immortal brainchild for about 17 years. He considered this work the most important mission in his life. The history of the creation of “Dead Souls” is full of gaps and mysteries, as well as mystical coincidences. While working on the work, the author became seriously ill, being on the verge of death, but he was suddenly miraculously healed. Gogol took this fact as a sign from above, which gave him the chance to complete his main work.

The idea of ​​“Dead Souls” and the very fact of their existence as social phenomenon Pushkin suggested to Gogol. It was Alexander Sergeevich, according to the author, who gave him the idea to write a large-scale work capable of revealing the entire essence of the Russian soul. The poem was conceived as a work in three volumes. The first volume (published in 1842) was conceived as a collection of human vices, the second gave the characters the opportunity to realize their mistakes, and in the third volume they change and find the path to the right life.

While in work, the work was edited by the author many times, its main idea, characters, plot changed, but only the essence was preserved: the problems and plan of the work. Gogol finished the second volume of “Dead Souls” shortly before his death, but according to some information, he himself destroyed this book. According to other sources, it was given by the author to Tolstoy or one of his close friends, and then lost. There is an opinion that this manuscript is still kept by the descendants of high society around Gogol and will someday be found. The author did not have time to write the third volume, but there is information about its intended content from reliable sources, the future book, its idea and general characteristics, were discussed in literary circles.

Subject

Meaning of the name“Dead Souls” is twofold: this phenomenon itself - the sale of dead serf souls, rewriting them and transferring them to another owner and the image of people like Plyushkin, Manilov, Sobakevich - their souls are dead, the heroes are deeply unspiritual, vulgar and immoral.

main topic“Dead Souls” - the vices and morals of society, the life of a Russian person in the 1830s of the 19th century. The problems that the author raises in the poem are as old as the world, but they are shown and revealed in the way that is characteristic of a researcher of human characters and souls: subtly and on a large scale.

Main character- Chichikov buys from landowners long-dead, but still registered serfs, whom he needs only on paper. Thus, he plans to get rich by receiving payment for them from the board of guardians. Chichikov's interaction and collaboration with scammers and charlatans like himself becomes the central theme of the poem. The desire to get rich by everyone possible ways characteristic not only of Chichikov, but also of many of the heroes of the poem - this is the disease of the century. What Gogol’s poem teaches is between the lines of the book - Russian people are characterized by adventurism and a craving for “easy bread.”

The conclusion is clear: the most the right way- live according to the laws, in harmony with conscience and heart.

Composition

The poem consists of the complete first volume and several surviving chapters of the second volume. The composition is subordinated to the main goal - to reveal a picture of Russian life, contemporary to the author, to create a gallery of typical characters. The poem consists of 11 chapters, is full of lyrical digressions, philosophical reasoning and the most wonderful descriptions of nature.

All this breaks through the main plot from time to time and gives the work a unique lyricism. The work ends with a colorful lyrical reflection on the future of Russia, its strength and power.

The book was originally intended to be satirical work, this affected the overall composition. In the first chapter, the author introduces the reader to the residents of the city, to the main character - Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. From the second to the sixth chapters the author gives portrait characteristic landowners, their unique way of life, a kaleidoscope of quirks and morals. The next four chapters describe the life of bureaucrats: bribery, arbitrariness and tyranny, gossip, the way of life of a typical Russian city.

Main characters

Genre

To determine the genre of “Dead Souls”, it is necessary to turn to history. Gogol himself defined it as a “poem,” although the structure and scale of the narrative are close to the story and novel. The prose work is called a poem due to its lyricism: large quantity lyrical digressions, remarks and comments of the author. It is also worth considering that Gogol drew a parallel between his brainchild and Pushkin’s poem “Eugene Onegin”: the latter is considered a novel in verse, and “Dead Souls” is, on the contrary, a poem in prose.

The author emphasizes the equivalence of the epic and the lyrical in his work. Criticism has a different opinion about genre features poems. For example, V. G. Belinsky called the work a novel, and this opinion is usually taken into account, since it is completely justified. But according to tradition, Gogol’s work is called a poem.

Work test

Rating Analysis

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Gogol. "Dead Souls" What the main problem works. What is the main theme of the work? And what was the relationship and got the best answer

Answer from GALINA[guru]
According to Gogol, the essence of the first volume of Dead Souls
is to show the shortcomings,
vices and weaknesses of the Russian person:
"...The book...depicts a man taken from our own
state... It was taken more to show
the shortcomings and vices of the Russian person, not his
dignity and virtue, and all people who
surround him, also taken to show
our weaknesses and shortcomings; the best people And
the characters will be in other parts..."
(N.V. Gogol, “To the Reader from the Author”,
preface to the second edition of the first volume of "Dead Souls")
The main problem of the poem is spiritual death and
spiritual rebirth of man.
The author explores the causes of moral degradation
landowners, officials, Chichikov, reveals depressing
consequences of this process.
At the same time, Gogol, a writer with a Christian worldview,
does not lose hope for the spiritual awakening of his heroes.
About the spiritual resurrection of Chichikov and Plyushkin Gogol
was going to write in the second and third volumes of his
works, but this plan is not destined
was to come true.
Source: in detail

Answer from Vladimir Pobol[guru]
at Chichikov's with the landowners - did I understand you correctly?

Answer from Ira Kuzmenko[active]
Topics and problems. In accordance with the main idea of ​​the work - to show the path to achieving a spiritual ideal, on the basis of which the writer imagines the possibility of transformation as state system Russia, its social structure, and all social strata and each individual person - the main themes and problems posed in the poem “Dead Souls” are determined. Being an opponent of any political and social upheavals, especially revolutionary ones, the Christian writer believes that the negative phenomena that characterize the state of contemporary Russia can be overcome through moral self-improvement not only of the Russian person himself, but also of the entire structure of society and the state. Moreover, such changes, from Gogol’s point of view, should not be external, but internal, that is, we are talking about the fact that all state and social structures, and especially their leaders, in their activities should be guided by moral laws and the postulates of Christian ethics. Thus, the eternal Russian problem - bad roads - can be overcome, according to Gogol, not by changing bosses or tightening laws and control over their implementation. To do this, it is necessary that each of the participants in this matter, first of all the leader, remember that he is responsible not to a higher official, but to God. Gogol called on every Russian person in his place, in his position, to do things as the highest - Heavenly - law commands.
That is why the themes and problems of Gogol’s poem turned out to be so broad and comprehensive. In its first volume, the emphasis is placed on all those negative phenomena in the life of the country that need to be corrected. But the main evil for a writer is not social problems as such, but for the reason for which they arise: the spiritual impoverishment of contemporary man. That is why the problem of the death of the soul becomes central in the 1st volume of the poem. All other themes and problems of the work are grouped around it. “Be not dead, but living souls!” - the writer calls, convincingly demonstrating the abyss into which one who has lost his living soul falls. But what is meant by this strange oxymoron - “dead soul”, which gives the title to the whole work? Of course, not only a purely bureaucratic term used in Russia XIX century. Often a “dead soul” is called a person who is mired in worries about vanity. The gallery of landowners and officials shown in the 1st volume of the poem reveals such “dead souls” to the reader, since they are all characterized by lack of spirituality, selfish interests, empty extravagance or soul-consuming stinginess. From this point of view " dead souls”, shown in the 1st volume, can only be resisted by the “living soul” of the people, presented in the author’s lyrical digressions. But, of course, the oxymoron “dead soul” is interpreted by the Christian writer in a religious and philosophical sense. The very word “soul” indicates the immortality of the individual in its Christian understanding. From this point of view, the symbolism of the definition “dead souls” contains the opposition of the dead (inert, frozen, spiritless) principle and the living (spiritualized, high, light). The uniqueness of Gogol's position lies in the fact that he not only contrasts these two principles, but points out the possibility of awakening the living in the dead. So the poem includes the theme of the resurrection of the soul, the theme of the path to its revival. It is known that Gogol intended to show the path of revival of two heroes from the 1st volume - Chichikov and Plyushkin. The author dreams that the “dead souls” of Russian reality will be reborn, turning into truly “living” souls.
But in the contemporary world, the death of the soul affected literally everyone and was reflected in the most diverse aspects of life.

In May 1842, the first volume of Gogol's Dead Souls was published. The work was conceived by the author while he was working on The Inspector General. In Dead Souls, Gogol addresses the main theme of his work: the ruling classes of Russian society. The writer himself said: “My creation is huge and great, and its end will not come soon.” Indeed, “Dead Souls” is an outstanding phenomenon in the history of Russian and world satire.

"Dead Souls" - a satire on serfdom

“Dead Souls” is a work. In this, Gogol is the successor of Pushkin’s prose. He himself speaks about this on the pages of the poem in lyrical digression about two types of writers (Chapter VII).

Here the peculiarity of Gogol's realism is revealed: the ability to expose and show close-up all the flaws in human nature that are not always obvious. “Dead Souls” reflected the basic principles of realism:

1. Historicism. The work is written about the writer’s contemporary time - the turn of the 20-30s of the 19th century - then serfdom was experiencing a serious crisis.
2. Typical character and circumstances. Landowners and officials are depicted satirically with a pronounced critical focus, and the main social types are shown. Gogol pays special attention to detail.
3. Satirical typification. It is achieved author's description characters, comic situations, reference to the past of heroes, hyperbolization, use of proverbs in speech.

Meaning of the name: literal and metaphorical

Gogol planned to write a work in three volumes. He took as a basis " Divine Comedy» Dante Alighieri. Likewise, Dead Souls was supposed to consist of three parts. Even the title of the poem refers the reader to Christian principles.

Why "Dead Souls"? The name itself is an oxymoron, a juxtaposition of the incomparable. The soul is a substance that is inherent in the living, but not in the dead. Using this technique, Gogol gives hope that not all is lost, that the positive principle in the crippled souls of landowners and officials can be reborn. This is what the second volume should have been about.

The meaning of the title of the poem “Dead Souls” lies on several levels. On the very surface there is a literal meaning, because dead peasants were called dead souls in bureaucratic documents. Actually, this is the essence of Chichikov’s machinations: to buy up dead serfs and take money as collateral. The main characters are shown in the circumstances of the sale of peasants. “Dead souls” are the landowners and officials themselves that Chichikov encounters, because there is nothing human or living left in them. They are ruled by the thirst for profit (officials), feeble-mindedness (Korobochka), cruelty (Nozdryov) and rudeness (Sobakevich).

The deep meaning of the name

All new aspects are revealed as you read the poem “Dead Souls”. The meaning of the title, hidden in the depths of the work, makes us think about the fact that any person, a simple layman, can eventually turn into Manilov or Nozdryov. It is enough for one small passion to settle in his heart. And he will not notice how vice will grow there. To this end, in Chapter XI, Gogol calls on the reader to look deep into his soul and check: “Is there some part of Chichikov in me too?”

Gogol laid down in the poem “Dead Souls” a multifaceted meaning of the title, which is revealed to the reader not immediately, but in the process of comprehending the work.

Genre originality

When analyzing “Dead Souls,” another question arises: “Why does Gogol position the work as a poem?” Really, genre originality creations are unique. While working on the work, Gogol shared his creative discoveries with friends in letters, calling “Dead Souls” both a poem and a novel.

About the second volume of "Dead Souls"

In a state of deep creative crisis, Gogol wrote the second volume of Dead Souls for ten years. In correspondence, he often complains to friends that things are going very slowly and are not particularly satisfying.

Gogol turns to the harmonious, positive image of the landowner Kostanzhoglo: judicious, responsible, using scientific knowledge in organizing the estate. Under its influence, Chichikov reconsiders his attitude to reality and changes for the better.

Seeing “life’s lies” in the poem, Gogol burned the second volume of “Dead Souls.”