“Dead Souls” is a complex work with multi-level text, where even experienced readers can get lost. Therefore, a brief retelling of Gogol’s poem chapter by chapter, as well as it, which will help students understand the author’s large-scale plans, will not harm anyone.
He asks that comments regarding the entire text or image of a particular class be sent to him personally, for which he will be grateful.
Chapter first
The chaise of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov (here is his) - a collegiate adviser - accompanied by servants Selifan and Petrushka, drives into the city of NN. Chichikov's description is quite typical: he is not handsome, but not bad-looking, not thin, but not fat, not young, but not old.
Chichikov, showing masterful hypocrisy and the ability to find an approach to everyone, gets acquainted with all the important officials and makes a pleasant impression on them. At the governor's he meets the landowners Manilov and Sobakevich, and at the police chief he meets Nozdryov. He undertakes to pay a visit to everyone.
Chapter two
The author writes about Chichikov's servants: Petrushka and the drinking coachman Selifan. Pavel Ivanovich goes to see Manilov (here is him), in the village of Manilovka. Everything in the manners and portrait of the landowner was too sweet, he thinks only about abstract things, can’t finish reading one book and dreams of building a stone bridge, but only in words.
Manilov lives here with his wife and two children, whose names are Alcides and Themistoclus. Chichikov says that he wants to purchase “dead souls” from him - dead peasants who are still on the audit lists. He refers to the desire to relieve his newfound friend from paying taxes. The landowner, after a short fright, happily agrees to give them to the guest for free. Pavel Ivanovich hastily leaves him and goes to Sobakevich, pleased with the successful start of his enterprise.
Chapter Three
On the way to Sobakevich's house, due to the inattention of the coachman Selifan, the chaise goes far from the right road and gets into an accident. Chichikov is forced to ask for an overnight stay with the landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka (here is her).
The old woman is too thrifty, incredibly stupid, but very successful. Order reigns in her estate, she conducts trade business with many merchants. The widow keeps all her old things and receives the guest with suspicion. In the morning, Chichikov tried to talk about “dead souls,” but Nastasya Petrovna for a long time could not understand how one could trade in the dead. Finally, after a small scandal, the irritated official makes a deal and sets off on a repaired chaise.
Chapter Four
Chichikov enters the tavern, where he meets the landowner Nozdryov (here is him). He is an avid gambler, a fan of making up tall tales, a carouser and a talker.
Nozdryov calls Chichikov to his estate. Pavel Ivanovich asks him about “dead souls,” but the landowner inquires about the purpose of such an unusual purchase. He offers the hero to buy other expensive goods along with the souls, but it all ends in a quarrel.
The next morning, the gambling Nozdryov invites the guest to play checkers: the prize is “dead souls.” Chichikov notices the landowner's fraud, after which he escapes from the danger of a fight, thanks to the police captain who entered.
Chapter Five
Chichikov's britzka runs into the carriage, which causes a slight delay. A pretty girl, noticed by Pavel Ivanovich, would later turn out to be the governor’s daughter. The hero approaches the huge village of Sobakevich (here is his), everything in his house is of impressive size, like the owner himself, whom the author compares to a clumsy bear. A particularly characteristic detail is a massive, roughly hewn table that reflects the character of the owner.
The landowner speaks rudely about everyone Chichikov talks about, remembering Plyushkin, whose serfs endlessly die because of the owner’s stinginess. Sobakevich calmly sets a high price for the dead peasants and begins to talk about selling them. After much bargaining, Chichikov manages to buy several souls. The chaise goes to the landowner Plyushkin.
Chapter Six
The village of Plyushkina has a miserable appearance: the windows are without glass, the gardens are abandoned, the houses are overgrown with mold. Chichikov mistakes the owner for an old housekeeper. Plyushkin (here is him), looking like a beggar, leads the guest into the dusty house.
This is the only landowner whose past the author talks about. The master's wife and youngest daughter died, and the rest of his children left him. The house was empty, and Plyushkin gradually sank to such a pitiful state. He is happy to get rid of the dead peasants so as not to pay taxes for them, and happily sells them to Chichikov at a low price. Pavel Ivanovich leaves back to NN.
Chapter Seven
Along the way, Chichikov examines the collected records and notices the variety of names of deceased peasants. He meets Manilov and Sobakevich.
The chairman of the chamber quickly draws up the documents. Chichikov reports that he bought serfs for removal to the Kherson province. Officials celebrate Pavel Ivanovich's success.
Chapter Eight
Chichikov's huge acquisitions become known throughout the city. Various rumors are spreading. Pavel Ivanovich finds an anonymous letter of love.
At the governor's ball, he meets a girl whom he saw on the way to Sobakevich. He becomes interested in the governor's daughter, forgetting about other ladies.
The sudden appearance of a drunken Nozdryov almost disrupts Chichikov’s plan: the landowner begins to tell everyone how the traveler bought dead peasants from him. He is taken out of the hall, after which Chichikov leaves the ball. At the same time, Korobochka goes to find out from her friends whether her guest has set the right price for the “dead souls.”
Chapter Nine
Friends Anna Grigorievna and Sofya Ivanovna gossip about the visiting official: they think that Chichikov is acquiring “dead souls” in order to please the governor’s daughter or kidnap her, in which Nozdryov may become his accomplice.
The landowners are afraid of punishment for the scam, so they keep the deal secret. Chichikov is not invited to dinners. Everyone in the city is busy with the news that somewhere in the province a counterfeiter and robber is hiding. Suspicion immediately falls on the buyer of dead souls.
Chapter Ten
The police chief is arguing over who Pavel Ivanovich is. Some people think he is Napoleon. The postmaster is sure that this is none other than Captain Kopeikin, and tells his story.
When Captain Kopeikin fought in 1812, he lost a leg and an arm. He came to St. Petersburg to ask for help from the governor, but the meeting was postponed several times. The soldier soon ran out of money. As a result, he is advised to return home and wait for the sovereign's help. Soon after his departure, robbers appeared in the Ryazan forests, whose ataman, by all indications, was Captain Kopeikin.
But Chichikov has all his arms and legs, so everyone understands that this version is wrong. The prosecutor dies due to excitement; Chichikov has had a cold for three days and does not leave the house. When he recovers, he is refused admission to the governor, and others treat him the same way. Nozdryov tells him about the rumors, praises him for the idea of kidnapping the governor’s daughter and offers his help. The hero understands that he urgently needs to escape from the city.
Chapter Eleven
In the morning, after slight delays in preparations, Chichikov sets off. He sees the prosecutor being buried. Pavel Ivanovich leaves the city.
The author talks about Chichikov's past. He was born into a noble family. His father often reminded his son to please everyone and save every penny. At school, Pavlusha already knew how to earn money, for example, by selling pies and showing performances of a trained mouse for a fee.
Then he began to serve in the government chamber. Pavel Ivanovich made his way to a high position by announcing to an old official that he was going to marry his daughter. In all positions, Chichikov took advantage of his official position, which is why he once found himself on trial for smuggling.
One day, Pavel Ivanovich got the idea of purchasing “dead souls” in order to ask for the Kherson province to house them. Then he could get a lot of money on the security of non-existent people and make a big fortune for himself.
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As part of the project "Gogol. 200 years"RIA Newspresents a summary of the second volume of “Dead Souls” by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol - a novel that Gogol himself called a poem. The plot of "Dead Souls" was suggested to Gogol by Pushkin. The white version of the text of the second volume of the poem was burned by Gogol. The text has been partially restored based on drafts.
The second volume of the poem opens with a description of the nature that makes up the estate of Andrei Ivanovich Tentetnikov, whom the author calls “the smoker of the sky.” The story of the stupidity of his pastime is followed by the story of a life inspired by hopes at the very beginning, overshadowed by the pettiness of his service and troubles later; he retires, intending to improve the estate, reads books, takes care of the man, but without experience, sometimes just human, this does not give the expected results, the man is idle, Tentetnikov gives up. He breaks off acquaintances with his neighbors, offended by General Betrishchev’s address, and stops visiting him, although he cannot forget his daughter Ulinka. In a word, without someone who would tell him an invigorating “go ahead!”, he completely turns sour.
Chichikov comes to him, apologizing for a breakdown in the carriage, curiosity and a desire to pay respects. Having won the favor of the owner with his amazing talent to adapt to anyone, Chichikov, having lived with him for a while, goes to the general, to whom he weaves a story about a quarrelsome uncle and, as usual, begs for the dead.
The poem fails at the laughing general, and we find Chichikov heading to Colonel Koshkarev. Contrary to expectations, he ends up with Pyotr Petrovich Rooster, whom he finds at first completely naked, keen on hunting sturgeon. At Rooster's, not having anything to get hold of, for the estate is mortgaged, he only overeats terribly, meets the bored landowner Platonov and, having encouraged him to travel together across Rus', goes to Konstantin Fedorovich Kostanzhoglo, married to Platonov's sister. He talks about the methods of management with which he increased the income from the estate tenfold, and Chichikov is terribly inspired.
Very quickly he visits Colonel Koshkarev, who has divided his village into committees, expeditions and departments and has organized a perfect paper production in the mortgaged estate, as it turns out. Having returned, he listens to the curses of the bilious Kostanzhoglo against the factories and manufactories that corrupt the peasant, the peasant’s absurd desire to educate, and his neighbor Khlobuev, who has neglected a sizable estate and is now selling it for next to nothing.
Having experienced tenderness and even a craving for honest work, having listened to the story of the tax farmer Murazov, who made forty million in an impeccable way, Chichikov the next day, accompanied by Kostanzhoglo and Platonov, goes to Khlobuev, observes the unrest and dissipation of his household in the neighborhood of a governess for children, dressed in fashion wife and other traces of absurd luxury.
Having borrowed money from Kostanzhoglo and Platonov, he gives a deposit for the estate, intending to buy it, and goes to Platonov’s estate, where he meets his brother Vasily, who efficiently manages the estate. Then he suddenly appears at their neighbor Lenitsyn, clearly a rogue, wins his sympathy with his ability to skillfully tickle a child and receives dead souls.
After many gaps in the manuscript, Chichikov is found already in the city at a fair, where he buys fabric that is so dear to him, the lingonberry color with a sparkle. He runs into Khlobuev, whom, apparently, he spoiled, either depriving him, or almost depriving him of his inheritance through some kind of forgery. Khlobuev, who let him go, is taken away by Murazov, who convinces Khlobuev of the need to work and orders him to collect funds for the church. Meanwhile, denunciations against Chichikov are discovered both about the forgery and about dead souls.
The tailor brings a new tailcoat. Suddenly a gendarme appears, dragging the smartly dressed Chichikov to the Governor-General, “angry as anger itself.” Here all his atrocities become clear, and he, kissing the general’s boot, is thrown into prison. In a dark closet, Murazov finds Chichikov, tearing his hair and tails of his coat, mourning the loss of a box of papers, with simple virtuous words awakens in him a desire to live honestly and sets off to soften the Governor-General.
At that time, officials who want to spoil their wise superiors and get a bribe from Chichikov, deliver a box to him, kidnap an important witness and write many denunciations in order to completely confuse the matter. Unrest breaks out in the province itself, greatly worrying the Governor-General. However, Murazov knows how to feel the sensitive strings of his soul and give him the right advice, which the Governor-General, having released Chichikov, is about to use, how... - at this point the manuscript breaks off.
Material provided by the internet portal briefly.ru, compiled by E. V. Kharitonova
Dear friends! There are many versions of the summary of the unforgettable N. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls". There are very short versions and more detailed ones. We have prepared for you a “golden mean” - an optimal version of the summary of the work “Dead Souls” in terms of volume. The text of the brief retelling is divided into volumes and by chapter.
Dead Souls - summary by chapter
Volume one of the poem "Dead Souls" (summary)
Chapter first
In his work “Dead Souls” N.V. Gogol describes the events that took place after the expulsion of the French from the state. It all begins with the arrival of collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov to the provincial town of NN. The adviser is checked into the best hotel. Chichikov is a middle-aged man, of average build, pleasant in appearance, slightly round in shape, but this does not spoil him at all. Pavel Ivanovich is very inquisitive, even in some situations he can be too pushy and annoying. He asks the tavern servant about the owner of the tavern, about the owner’s income, about all the city officials, about noble landowners. He is also interested in the state of the region where he arrived.
Having arrived in the city, the collegiate adviser does not sit at home, he visits everyone, from the governor to the inspector of the medical board. Everyone treats Chichikov condescendingly, because he finds a certain approach to each of the people, says certain words that are pleasant for them. They also treat him well, and this even surprises Pavel Ivanovich. Throughout his professional career, for all the truth that he simply had to tell people, he experienced many negative actions towards him, even survived an attempt on his life. Now Chichikov was looking for a place where he could live peacefully.
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov attends a house party held by the governor. There he earns everyone's favor and successfully meets the landowners Sobakevich and Manilov. The police chief invites him to dinner. At this dinner, Chichikov meets the landowner Nozdryov. Then he visited the chairman of the chamber and the vice-governor, the tax farmer and the prosecutor. Afterwards he goes to Manilov’s estate. This approach in the work of N.V. Gogol's "Dead Souls" is preceded by a large author's digression. The author attests in great detail to Petrushka, who is the visitor’s servant. Parsley loves to read with passion, he has a special ability to carry with him a special smell, which in essence carries a certain residential peace.
Chapter two
Chichikov goes to Manilovka. However, his journey takes longer than he thought. Chichikov is met on the threshold by the owner of the estate and hugged tightly. The Manilov house stands in the center, and around it there are many flower beds and gazebos. There are signs on the gazebos stating that this is a place for solitude and reflection. All this decoration to some extent characterizes the owner, who is not burdened with any problems, but is too cloying. Manilov admits that Chichikov’s arrival is like a sunny day for him, like the happiest holiday. The gentlemen dine in the company of the mistress of the estate and two sons, Themistoclus and Alcides. Afterwards, Chichikov decides to tell about his true reason for the visit. He wants to buy from the landowner all those peasants who have already died, but no one has yet declared their death in the audit certificate. He wants to register such peasants according to the law, as if they were still alive. The owner of the estate was very surprised by this proposal, but then agreed to the deal. Chichikov goes to Sobakevich, and Manilov, meanwhile, dreams that Chichikov will live next door to him across the river. That he would build a bridge across the river, and they would be best friends, and the sovereign, having learned about this, would promote them to generals.
Chapter Three
On the way to Sobakevich, Chichikov's coachman Selifan, having started a conversation with his horses, misses the required turn. A heavy downpour begins and the coachman drops his master into the mud. They have to look for a place to sleep in the dark. They find him at Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka's. The lady turns out to be a landowner who is afraid of everyone and everything. Chichikov is not wasting his time. He begins trading dead souls with Nastasya Petrovna. Chichikov carefully explains to her that he himself will now pay the tax for them. Cursing the old woman's stupidity, he promises to buy all the hemp and lard from her, but another time. Chichikov buys souls from her and receives a detailed list where they are all listed. In the list, his attention is attracted by Pyotr Savelyev Disregard-Trough. Chichikov, having eaten pies, pancakes, pies, etc., leaves further. The hostess is very worried because more money should have been taken for the souls.
Chapter Four
Chichikov, driving out onto the main road to the tavern, decides to stop for a snack. The author of the work, in order to add something mysterious to this action, begins to think about all those properties of appetite that are inherent in people like our hero. During such a snack, Chichikov meets Nozdryov. He was on his way from the fair. Nozdryov complains that he lost everything at the fair. He also talks about all the delights of the fair, talks about dragoon officers, and also mentions a certain Kuvshinnikov. Nozdryov takes his son-in-law and Chichikov home. Pavel Ivanovich thinks that with the help of Nozdryov he can make some good money. Nozdryov turned out to be a man who loves history. Wherever he was, no matter what he did, nothing was complete without history. On the table during lunch there were many dishes and a large number of drinks of dubious quality. After lunch, the son-in-law leaves to visit his wife, and Chichikova decides to get down to business. However, it is impossible to either buy or beg souls from Chichikov. The owner of the house offers his conditions: exchange it, take it in addition to something, or make a bet in the game. Insurmountable disagreements arise between the men on this matter, and they go to bed. The next morning their conversation resumes again. They meet at a game of checkers. During the game, Nozdryov tries to cheat, and Chichikov notices this. It turns out that Nozdryov is on trial. Chichikov runs away in view of the arrival of the police captain.
Chapter Five
On the way, Chichikov's carriage crashes into another carriage. All witnesses to what happened are trying to untangle the reins and return the horses to their places. Chichikov, meanwhile, admires the sixteen-year-old young lady and begins to dream of living together with her, of their future family. Sobakevich's estate is a strong structure, in fact, completely matching the owner. The owner treats the guests to lunch. Over the meal they talk about city officials. Sobakevich condemns them because he is sure that all of them, without exception, are scammers. Chichikov tells the owner about his plans. They make a deal. Sobakevich is not at all afraid of such a deal. He haggles for a long time, pointing out the best qualities of each of his former serfs, provides Chichikov with a detailed list and lures him out of a deposit. The bargaining continues for a long time. Chichikov assures Sobakevich that the qualities of the peasants are no longer important because they are lifeless and cannot bring physical benefit to the new owner. Sobakevich begins to hint to his potential buyer that transactions of this kind are illegal and can lead to dire consequences. He even threatens to tell whoever needs to know about this, and Chichikov will face punishment. Finally, they agree on the price, draw up a document, fearing a setup from each other. Sobakevich offers Chichikov to buy a girl-housekeeper for a minimum price, but the guest refuses. However, then, reading the document, Pavel Ivanovich sees that Sobakevich still included a woman - Elizaveta Vorobey. Chichikov leaves Sobakevich's estate. On the way, he asks a peasant in the village which road he needs to take to get to Plyushkin’s estate. People called Plyushkin the patched one behind his back.
The fifth chapter of the work “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol ends with the author making a lyrical digression about the Russian language. The author emphasizes the power of the Russian language, its richness and diversity. He also talks about such a feature of Russian people as giving nicknames to everyone. Nicknames arise not at the request of their owners, but in connection with some actions, various actions, or a combination of circumstances. Nicknames accompany a person almost until death; they cannot be gotten rid of or bought off. On the territory of Rus' there is not only a huge number of churches and monasteries, but also a countless number of generations, tribes, peoples rushing around the Earth... Not the word of a Briton, not the word of a Frenchman, or even the word of a German can compare with an aptly spoken Russian word. Because only a Russian word can break out so quickly right from under the heart.
Chapter Six
On the way to the landowner Plyushkin, about whom Sobakevich told, Chichikov meets a man. He starts a conversation with this guy. He gives Plyushkin a clear, but not very printed nickname. The author begins the story about his former love for unfamiliar places, which now do not evoke any feelings in him. Chichikov, seeing Plyushkin, first mistakes him for the housekeeper, and then generally for a beggar. The most surprising thing is that Plyushkin turned out to be a very greedy person. He even carries his old fallen off boot sole into a pile piled up in the master's chambers. Chichikov offers him a deal and points out all its advantages. He assures that now he will take on the taxes for the dead and runaway peasants. After a successful deal, Chichikov refuses tea with crackers. With a letter to the chairman of the chamber, he leaves in good spirits.
Chapter Seven
Chichikov spends the night at the hotel. Having woken up, a satisfied Chichikov studies the lists of acquired peasants and reflects on their supposed fates. Then he goes to the civil chamber to resolve all his cases as quickly as possible. At the hotel gate he meets Manilov. He accompanies him all the way to the ward. Sobakevich is already sitting in the chairman’s apartment at the reception. The chairman, out of the kindness of his soul, agrees to be Plyushkin’s attorney, and thereby, to a large extent, speeds up all other transactions. A discussion began about Chichikov's latest acquisitions. It was important to the chairman whether he bought so many peasants with land or for withdrawal, and to what places he would take them. Chichikov intended to bring the peasants to the Kherson province. At the meeting, all the properties that the sold men possess were also revealed. After all this the champagne was opened. Later, everyone went to the police chief, where they drank to the health of the new Kherson landowner. Everyone's pretty excited. They are even trying to force Chichikov to leave there, on the condition that they will soon find him a worthy wife.
Chapter Eight
Everyone in the city is talking about Chichikov’s purchases, many are even gossiping about him being a millionaire. Girls go crazy for him. Before the governor's ball, Chichikov even receives a mysterious love letter, which even the fan did not deign to sign. Having dressed up for the event, in full readiness, he goes to the ball. There he moves from one embrace to another, twirling first with one and then with the other in a dance. Chichikov tried to find the sender of that nameless letter. There were even a lot of arguments between the girls for his attention. However, his search ends when the governor's wife approaches him. He forgets absolutely everything, because next to him is a sixteen-year-old blonde, it was her crew that he encountered on the way here. With this behavior, he instantly loses the favor of all the ladies. Chichikov is completely immersed in a conversation with a chic and charming blonde, neglecting the attention of other ladies. Suddenly Nozdryov comes to the ball, his appearance promises Pavel Ivanovich huge troubles. Nozdryov asks Chichikov for the whole room and at the top of his voice whether he has sold a lot of dead people. Despite the fact that Nozdryov was pretty drunk, and the entire vacationing society had no time for such statements, Chichikov begins to feel uneasy. And he leaves in complete sadness and confusion.
Chapter Nine
At the same time, due to increasing anxiety, the landowner Korobochkova arrives in the city. She is in a hurry to find out at what price dead souls can be purchased at the present time. The news about the buying and selling of dead souls becomes the property of one pleasant lady, then another. This story takes on even more interesting details. They say that Chichikov, armed to the teeth, breaks into Korobochka in the dead of night, demanding the souls that have died. It instantly instills horror and fear in people. People are even starting to get the idea that dead souls are just a cover. But in fact, Chichikov just wants to take away the governor’s daughter. Having fully discussed the details of this event, Nozdryov’s participation in it and the merits of the governor’s daughter, both ladies tell the prosecutor about everything and are going to start a riot in the city.
Chapter ten briefly
In a fairly short time the city came to life. News continues to appear one after another. News appears about the appointment of a new governor general. New papers appear in the case of counterfeit banknotes and, of course, about an insidious robber who escaped from legal prosecution. Due to the fact that Chichikov spoke little about himself, people have to piece together his image piece by piece. They remember what Chichikov said about the people who attempted to kill his life. In his statement, the postmaster, for example, writes that Chichikov, in his opinion, is a kind of captain Kopeikin. This captain seemed to take up arms against the injustice of the whole world and became a robber. However, this version was rejected by everyone, since it follows from the story that the captain was missing one arm and one leg, but Chichikov was safe and sound. Various assumptions arise. There is even a version that he is Napoleon in disguise. Many begin to see some similarities in them, especially in profile. Questioning the participants in the actions, such as Korobochkin, Manilov and Sobakevich, does not yield results. Nozdryov only increases the already existing confusion of citizens. He declares Chichikov a spy, making false notes and intending to take the governor's daughter away. Such a huge number of versions negatively affects the prosecutor, he has a stroke and dies.
Chapter Eleven
Chichikov, meanwhile, is sitting in his hotel with a slight cold and is sincerely surprised that none of the officials have ever visited him. Soon he himself goes to the governor and realizes that they don’t want him there and won’t accept him. In other places, all people fearfully avoid him. Nozdryov, when visiting Chichikov at the hotel, tells him about everything that happened. He assures Pavel Ivanovich that he agrees to help in the kidnapping of the governor’s daughter.
The very next day Chichikov hastily leaves. However, a funeral procession meets on his way, and he is simply forced to look at all the officials, and at the prosecutor Brichka lying in a coffin. Deciding that it’s time for the hero, who has already done a lot of things, to rest, the author decides to tell the whole story of Pavel Ivanovich’s life. The story is about his childhood, studying at school, where he was able to show all his intelligence and ingenuity. The author also talks about the relationship of the main character with his comrades and teacher, about his service, work in the commission of a government building, subsequent departure to other, not so profitable places, transition to the customs service. All around he made a lot of money, concluding fake contracts, conspiracies, working with smuggling, and so on. During his life, he was even able to avoid a criminal trial, but was forced to resign. He became an attorney. During the troubles about the peasants' pledge, he formed his insidious plan in his head. And only then he began to travel around the spaces of Rus'. He wanted to buy dead souls, put them in the treasury as if they were alive, get money, buy a village and provide for future offspring.
The author partly justifies his hero, calling him a master who acquired a lot, who was able to build such an entertaining chain of actions with his mind. This is how the first volume of N.V.’s work ends. Gogol "Dead Souls".
Volume two of the poem Dead Souls (summary by chapter)
The second volume of the work by N.V. Gogol " Dead Souls "begins with a description of the nature that makes up the estate of Andrei Ivanovich Tentetnikov, nicknamed the smoker of the sky. The author talks about all the uselessness of his pastime. Then comes the story of life, which is full of hope at its very beginning, then overshadowed by the pettiness of the service and subsequent troubles. The hero retires, intending to improve his estate. He dreams of reading a lot of books. But reality does not give the expected results, the man remains idle. Tentetnikov gives up. He cuts off all his acquaintances with his neighbors. He was greatly offended by the treatment of General Betrishchevai. Because of this, she stops visiting him, despite the fact that she cannot forget his daughter Ulinka.
It is to Tentetnikov that Chichikov is heading. He justifies his arrival by the breakdown of the crew, and, of course, he is overcome by the desire to pay his respects. The owner liked Pavel Ivanovich because he had an amazing ability to adapt to anything. Afterwards, Chichikov goes to the general, to whom he tells a story about his absurd uncle and, of course, does not forget to beg dead souls from the owner. The general laughs at Chichikov. Then Chichikov goes to Colonel Koshkarev. However, everything does not go according to his plan, and he ends up with Pyotr Petrovich Rooster. Pavel Ivanovich finds the rooster completely naked, hunting for sturgeon. Pyotr Petrovich's estate was mortgaged, which means purchasing dead souls was simply impossible. Pavel Ivanovich meets the landowner Platonov, persuades him to travel together around Rus' and goes to Konstantin Fedorovich Kostanzhoglo, who is married to Platonov’s sister. He, in turn, tells the guests about farming methods with which they can increase their income several times over. Chichikov is terribly inspired by this idea.
Chichikov visits Colonel Koshkarev, who also mortgaged his estate, while dividing his village into committees, expeditions and departments. Having returned, he listens to the curse of the bilious Kostanzhoglo, addressed to factories and manufactories. Chichikov is touched, his thirst for honest work awakens. After listening to the story about the tax farmer Murazov, who made millions in an impeccable way, he goes to Khlobuev. There he observes the disorder of his household in the vicinity of a governess for the children, a fashionable wife and other signs of luxury. Borrows money from Kostanzhoglo and Platonov. Gives a deposit for the estate. He goes to Platonov’s estate, where he meets his brother Vasily and his luxurious farmstead. Then Lenitsyn receives dead souls from their neighbor.
Chichikov is in town at a fair, where he buys lingonberry-colored fabric with a sparkle. He meets with Khlobuev, whom he has annoyed, almost depriving him of his inheritance, through some kind of incitement. Meanwhile, denunciations against Chichikov are discovered both about the forgery and about the purchase and sale of dead souls. Then a gendarme appears, taking the smartly dressed Chichikov to the Governor General. All of Chichikov’s atrocities are revealed, he falls at the general’s feet, but this does not save him. Murazov finds Chichikov in a dark closet, tearing his hair and tailcoat. He persuades Pavel Ivanovich to live honestly and goes to soften the Governor-General. Many officials, who want to spoil their superiors and receive a reward from Chichikov, deliver the box to him, kidnap the witness and write denunciations, further confusing the already difficult case. Terrible unrest begins to occur in the province. This worries the Governor General very much. Murazov, being a rather cunning man, gives advice to the general in such a way that he lets Chichikov go. This concludes the second volume of N.V.’s work. Gogol's "Dead Souls" ends.
/ "Dead Souls"
Chapter I
The action of the poem takes place in one small town, to which Gogol gave the name “NN”. So, one day an interesting chaise pulled up to the city hotel. As the author says, only bachelors travel in such a chaise. In this bachelor’s transport sat a man “not handsome, but not of bad appearance, neither too fat nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.” No one noticed the arrival of this gentleman, except for two peasants who stood at the entrance to the tavern opposite the city hotel. Seeing the chaise approaching, they began to argue whether it would reach Moscow or Kazan.
The visiting gentleman settled in one of the hotel rooms with huge cockroaches that ran from corner to corner. A footman named Petrushka and Selifan also came with him, he was a coachman. While the footman and coachman were sorting out the visiting gentleman's belongings, he went down to the common room and ordered lunch. During the meal, this gentleman started a conversation with the policeman about the landowners with a large number of peasant souls and the officials of the local city.
The visiting gentleman's name was Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. The next day, Pavel Ivanovich paid a visit to all city authorities and minor officials, including the governor. Chichikov was distinguished by his courtesy and ability to quickly gain the trust of his interlocutor. For example, in front of the governor, he could not get enough of the city roads. For this, the latter invited Pavel Ivanovich to his home to celebrate some event. Other seduced officials invited Chichikov to their home to have tea.
The main character didn’t say much about himself. Only that he wants to settle in this city, and therefore wants to get to know all the city officials.
In the evening, Pavel Ivanovich went to visit the governor. There were a lot of people there: men in black tailcoats with white shirts, women in evening dresses. All the men present could be divided into two types: fat and thin. Gogol further tells the reader that thin people are only suitable for small, insignificant matters, while fat people are more judicious and achieve significant results in their activities. The author refers Chichikov specifically to fat people.
In the governor's house, Chichikov and two landowners meet - Manilov and Sobakevich. The landowners invite Pavel Ivanovich to visit their villages.
For a few more days, Chichikov is visited by a city official. In the city of NN, rumors spread about him as a businesslike and decent gentleman.
Chapter II
Pavel Ivanovich lived in the city of NN for about a week, visiting various officials, and then decided to visit his new acquaintances, the landowners Manilov and Sobakevich. Next, Gogol describes to us the footman Petrushka. The latter's favorite pastime was reading books. It should be noted that Petrushka read everything, without giving preference. He was silent by nature. Two things stood out about Parsley: he slept and what he wore; there was always the same smell wafting from him.
First of all, Chichikov decided to visit the landowner Manilov. His estate stood on the outskirts, blown by the winds. Near the landowner’s house there was a gazebo, on which one could see the inscription “Temple of Solitary Reflection.” Manilov was very happy about the arrival of his dear guest and immediately invited him to come into the house.
Looking at Manilov, it was very difficult to understand what kind of character he had. Gogol said about Manilov that he was neither this nor that. His facial features were pleasant and seemed like sugar. His manner of speech was inviting and seeking friendship. One can say about Manilov that he was a dreamer, he hardly looked after the household, but was constantly thinking about something. Once he even wanted to dig an underground tunnel from his house, but this idea remained an idea. In the landowner’s office, a book on one page had been gathering dust for two years. Manilov lived amicably and happily with his wife. And they had two sons - Themistokmos and Alcides.
Chichikov decides to start a business conversation. He asked Manilov for a register of peasants who died after the last census. After this, Pavel Ivanovich makes an amazing offer to the landowner to buy the dead souls of these peasants. According to all the documents, the eyes look as if they were alive and Manilov was obliged to pay tax for them. This proposal plunged the landowner into a daze, but Chichikov assured that everything would be formalized in the proper form. According to the documents, the dead peasants will pass through as if they were alive.
Manilov refuses the money and gives the dead souls of the peasants to Chichikov. After this, Pavel Ivanovich leaves the landowner’s estate, and Manilov plunges into his next dreams, seeing how the tsar presents him and Chichikov with general shoulder straps for their strong friendship.
Chapter III
Chichikov leaves Manilov's estate in a very good mood, he is happy about the successful deal. The coachman Selifan, talking to the horse, became completely distracted and drove off the road. Chichikov's chaise drove along the plowed ground and eventually overturned, and Pavel Ivanovich landed in the mud.
Only in the evening the travelers arrived at some village. These were the possessions of Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. Nastasya Petrovna was an elderly and very melancholy woman. She grieved when the harvest failed or the farm suffered losses, but at the same time she gradually saved money and hid it in drawers in chests of drawers. By nature, landowner Korobochka was a very thrifty person.
A separate room was prepared for Chichikov to spend the night with a feather bed fluffed up to the ceiling. The next day Pavel Ivanovich woke up late. His clean clothes were already in the room. Looking out the window, Chichikov saw a large farm, the peasants lived in prosperity, order and cleanliness reigned on the estate.
After this, Pavel Ivanovich went to the room of the owner of the estate and without hesitation immediately started talking about selling the dead souls of the peasants. Nastasya Petrovna could not understand what her guest was talking about, but she felt that the business was profitable. Unable to bear it, Chichikov called Korobochka “a strong-willed man,” “a damned old woman.” The landowner refused to sell the dead souls; she wanted to first study the demand so as not to sell them too cheap. Still, Chichikov manages to persuade Nastasya Petrovna to sell him the dead souls of the peasants. For this he bought honey and hemp from the landowner. Korobochka was happy with this deal, she treated Pavel Ivanovich, after which he left the landowner’s estate.
Chapter IV
Deciding to have a snack, Chichikov stops at a tavern. There he strikes up a conversation with the owner of this establishment. She says that she knows the landowners Manilov and Sobakevich well. From her words one can understand that Manilov is a delicate person. He liked to order a lot of dishes, but he didn’t eat everything, he only tried it. Sobakevich, on the contrary, ordered one dish, which he ate completely, then asked for additional food, for which he necessarily paid extra.
At this time, Chichikov’s acquaintance Nozdryov appeared at the tavern. Nozdryov was a landowner. He was distinguished by average height, strong physique, snow-white teeth and tar sideburns. He was a man who radiated health. Nozdryov began the conversation with Chichikov by visiting a fair, where he spent all his money and things. He addresses Pavel Ivanovich as if he were an old friend, scolding him for the fact that he has not yet come to visit him. Later, Nozdryov brings Chichikov to his estate.
Next, Gogol introduces us to the personality of the landowner Nozdryov. The author says about the landowner that he was a reveler, that he was one of those who often makes friends and one who often finds himself beaten by new friends. Next we learn that his wife had already died, leaving two children with whom the landowner did not care at all. Nozdryov never sat at home, but constantly traveled to fairs and balls. Loved to play cards. Since he did not play honestly, he often returned home beaten and shabby. And what’s most amazing is that he could be friends with his offenders the very next day.
Nozdryov was a liar by nature. He often started stories about a pink or blue horse. The landowner loved to annoy his close people and friends by spreading rumors and telling tall tales. He was restless. At any moment he could take off and drive wherever his eyes lead. He offered ridiculous exchanges of everything for everything. And he did this not for profit, but for the sake of action and his curious character.
Nozdryov's estate was as reckless as its owner. There was a construction goat in the dining room of the house. On it, men whitewashed the walls. Nozdryov immediately took Chichikov to inspect his estate. The landowner had many dogs of all stripes. Their nicknames were very original: shoot, scold, bake.
At about five o'clock in the evening, Nozdryov invited Chichikov to dinner. Food, like everything else in the landowner's house, was not the main thing. Some dishes were burnt, others were damp. During the meal, Pavel Ivanovich starts a conversation about selling dead souls. The landowner agrees to the deal with one condition: Chichikov had to buy another horse with a dog and a barrel organ. Pavel Ivanovich does not agree to this.
The next day, Nozdryov invites Chichikov to play checkers for dead souls. The latter agrees. During the game, Chichikov notices that the landowner is not playing fairly and stops the game. When Nozdryov orders the servants to beat Pavel Ivanovich. At this moment, the police captain enters Nozdryov’s estate and reminds Nozdryov that he is on trial for beating the landowner Maksimov. Chichikov, taking advantage of the moment, leaves Nozdryov’s estate.
Chapter V
On the way to the village of Sobakevich, the coachman Selifan, unable to control the chaise, collides with another chaise harnessed to six horses. The reins got tangled and both vehicles got stuck on the road. This event attracted the attention of local men who gave ridiculous advice to the coachmen, thereby preventing the problem from being quickly resolved. In the chaise, Chichikov noticed an old woman and a girl with golden hair. She looked to be about sixteen years old. Chichikov liked the young lady, and he tried to start a conversation, but it didn’t work out. At this time, the reins were unraveled and the travelers dispersed.
Sobakevich's estate was significant in size. Everything about it was made to last. It was noticeable that the owner was busy with the housework, because order reigned everywhere.
Gogol compared Sobakevich to a “medium-sized bear.” This image was emphasized by a bear-colored tailcoat, long sleeves and trousers, and a clubbed gait. His face was red-hot. The landowner did not turn his neck at all. Because of this, I almost never looked at my interlocutor. In addition, Sobakevich’s name was Mikhail Semenovich.
Sobakevich invited Chichikov to go into the living room for dinner. In the living room hung huge paintings depicting Greek generals. All of them were depicted with “thick thighs and incredible mustaches.”
All household utensils seemed to resemble their owner and complement him. For example, in the corner of the living room there was a “pot-bellied walnut bureau on the most absurd four legs,” which resembled a bear.
For about five minutes Chichikov, Sobakevich and his wife sat in silence. To start the conversation, Pavel Ivanovich decided to talk about city officials. Sobakevich immediately spoke unflatteringly about them, calling them swindlers and hypocrites.
The lunch dishes were very nutritious. The landowner lived by the rule: if pork is served for dinner, then you need to eat the whole pig. Lamb and beef were treated the same way. To confirm this rule, Sobakevich ate most of the side of lamb on his own, even gnawing the bones.
Later, when Sobakevich’s wife left the living room, Chichikov started talking about buying dead peasant souls. Sobakevich immediately wanted to sell them at a price of one hundred rubles per head. He explained the price by saying that all the peasants were masters of their craft and were famous throughout the area. Pavel Ivanovich was embarrassed by this price and after long negotiations the parties agreed on a price of 2.5 rubles per head.
Later, Chichikov leaves Sobakevich’s village very dissatisfied. He believes that Sobakevich simply robbed him. Pavel Ivanovich goes to the estate of the landowner Plyushkin.
Chapter VI
The village of Plyushkin was a mirror image of the village of Sobakevich. The houses here were very dilapidated, their roofs were full of holes, and there was no glass in the windows at all. Behind the village huts one could see huge stacks of the owner's bread, only they had been lying there for a long time and were overgrown with grass.
Gogol compares Plyushkin’s house to a “decrepit disabled person.” Almost all the windows were boarded up, and the plaster on the walls was crumbling. An old, withered garden grew around the house. Everything around said that once there was a vibrant life here, but now everything is dead and in oblivion.
In the center of the yard, Chichikov noticed “some figure” who was quarreling with a man. It was impossible to understand who it was: a man or a woman. She was wearing women's clothes and had a bunch of keys hanging from her belt. Deciding that it was a woman, Chichikov called out to her and said that the master was waiting for him. She told him to go into the house.
The house felt cold and damp from the basement. The situation inside the house was even worse than outside. It seemed as if all the furniture had been demolished into one room. The table was littered with some papers, glasses with liquid in which men were floating. The whole thing was covered with a thick layer of dust. What was not needed was simply piled in the corner of the room.
A little later, the figure of a woman from the yard, already familiar to Chichikov, appears in the room. As it turned out, it was Plyushkin. He was a man with a huge chin, small eyes and thick eyebrows. His clothes were so worn and greasy that it was impossible to tell what he was wearing. In appearance, Plyushkin looked like the most ordinary beggar who begs for alms from the church.
In fact, Plyushkin was one of the richest landowners in this region. He had more than a thousand serfs. Its storerooms and barns were filled with goods. But this was not enough for the landowner. Every day he collected all sorts of things from around the village and dragged everything into the house, dumping it in the corners.
Gogol further tells us that Plyushkin was not always like this. He used to be an exemplary owner. His farm worked like clockwork, bringing huge profits to its owner. But after the death of his wife, Plyushkin changed, he began to get greedy every day. After his eldest daughter ran away from home to the headquarters captain, Plyushkin cursed her, the estate became even more empty. The son of a landowner, without his father's permission, decided to enlist in military service. After he lost at cards, Plyushkin cursed him too, and was never interested in his fate again. When his youngest daughter died, Plyushkin was left alone with everything. This loneliness gave rise to an irresistible feeling of greed and stinginess in him every day.
Soon traders stopped visiting Plyushkin’s estate. All the landowner's goods turned into decay, and the estate fell into disrepair.
Plyushkin began his conversation with Chichikov by saying that he was very poor. Pavel Ivanovich offered him help in the form of purchasing dead souls. Plyushkin was very happy about this and even treated Chichikov to tea with mossy crackers.
Chichikov bought more than one hundred and twenty dead souls from Plyushkin. After that, he returned in excellent spirits to his city hotel room.
Chapter VII
Waking up in the morning, Chichikov began to study the lists of acquired peasant souls. During the time that Pavel Ivanovich was in the city of “NN” he managed to buy four hundred dead souls. Getting acquainted with their names, he thought about the hard life of a simple serf. In one of the lists of peasants whom Chichikov bought from Sobakevich, he discovered a woman’s name: Sparrow Elizaveta. After this, Pavel Ivanovich said: “Sobakevich is a scoundrel, and he cheated here too!”
A little later, Chichikov went to the chairman of the chamber of judges to formalize the deed of sale. There he met Manilov and Sobakevich. Pavel Ivanovich wandered around the offices of officials for a long time until he gave in to his paw. After completing the deal, he went to the chairman to wash the purchase. Chichikov told everyone that he was buying peasants to export to the Kherson province. At one moment he himself believed what was said. All evening everyone drank to Pavel Ivanovich and to his future bride, whom they wanted to find in the city.
Chapter VIII
After high-profile purchases, Chichikov found himself in the center of attention of all residents of the city “NN”. He began to be revered as a very rich and noble man. Everyone around him treated him with love and care. Also at this time, Pavel Ivanovich began to be in demand among the female population of the city.
One day Chichikov was invited to another ball, which took place in the governor’s house. There Pavel Ivanovich was person number one. There wasn't a minute when someone didn't hug Chichikov or shake his hand. The women surrounded the main character in a tight ring and kept him busy with their conversations. In an instant, Chichikov noticed the golden-haired girl whom he had tried to meet earlier, on the way to Sobakevich’s village. It turns out that she was the daughter of the governor. Pavel Ivanovich immediately turned his attention to her. The girl, as if not noticing his signs of attention, yawned periodically. The surrounding ladies were angry with Chichikov’s behavior.
A little later, the landowner Nozdryov appears at the ball, who loudly declares that Chichikov is not buying up peasants, but their dead souls. None of those present paid any attention to Nozdryov’s words, because the landowner was known as a notorious liar. Pavel Ivanovich spent the rest of the evening with a negative feeling in his soul.
At the height of the ball at the governor's house, a chaise resembling a fat watermelon drove into the city. The landowner Korobochka sat in it, who came to find out the true price of the dead souls that she sold to Chichikov.
Chapter IX
The next day, one resident of the city “NN” came to her friend and told her the news: Chichikov was buying the dead souls of peasants. The landowner Korobochka, who personally sold them to him, said this.
Without thinking twice, the ladies decided that all this was just a cover. The true target is the governor's daughter, whom Chichikov planned to kidnap. This news spread throughout the city at the speed of light. The townspeople simply rebelled. Everything was confused in their heads, and no one could understand what was the matter. The news grew with new details every day. Perhaps Pavel Ivanovich abandoned his wife for the sake of the governor’s daughter, whom he secretly met in the moonlight. City officials were also alarmed when they heard the news about the purchase of dead souls. Everyone began to look for sins in themselves that did not exist.
Just at the climax of the news about Chichikov, the governor receives a message about an escaped criminal. This completely confused everyone. And to find the truth, city officials went to the police chief.
Chapter X
All city officials were excited by the events taking place. Only the postmaster was calm and balanced. He told those gathered that Pavel Ivanovich was Captain Kopeikin and told the story of captain Kopeikin.
Captain Kopeikin lost an arm and a leg during the military campaign of the twelfth year. Together with the wounded soldiers he was taken to St. Petersburg. As it turned out, there were no orders regarding the wounded, and the captain found himself in a hopeless state. To clarify the situation, he decides to go to the sovereign. In St. Petersburg, Captain Kopeikin rents the cheapest room, after which he goes to the nobleman to ask for the sovereign's favor.
After standing in line for about four hours, Kopeikin managed to talk with the nobleman. The latter asked him to come back in a few days. The next day Kopeikin again came to the nobleman. He stated that it was necessary to wait for the king’s order regarding the wounded. The captain couldn't wait. He enters the nobleman's house and declares that he will not budge until his problem is solved. For such behavior, Kopeikin was expelled from St. Petersburg. No one heard from the captain again. A few months later, rumors spread that a gang of robbers led by Captain Kopeikin was operating in the forests near Ryazan.
This story did not make much of an impression on those present. Chichikov had both arms and legs intact, so he could not be Captain Kopeikin. Then the idea appeared that Pavel Ivanovich was Napoleon. To confirm this idea, officials turn to the landowner Nozdryov. He confirms that Chichikov is a sent Cossack. These rumors most likely caused the prosecutor to have a heart attack and die upon arriving home.
Due to illness, Chichikov lay in his room for three days and knew nothing about the events taking place in the city. After his recovery, he decides to visit city officials, but no one will let him in anymore. Towards evening, Nozdryov comes to Pavel Ivanovich, who tells him about what happened. Chichikov decides to leave the city as quickly as possible and tells Selifan to prepare the chaise for the trip.
Chapter XI
The next day, Chichikov failed to quickly leave the city of NN. Selifan did not prepare the chaise (the horses needed to be shoed and the wheel re-strung), and Pavel Ivanovich himself woke up late. All this preparation took about five more hours. After that, Chichikov got into the chaise and they set off.
One of the city streets was blocked by a funeral procession. Pavel Ivanovich hid in the chaise because he did not want to be seen. After a while, the chaise finally left the city.
Chichikov was born into a noble family. Pavlusha grew up without friends in a small room. Later, his father moved him to the city, where the main character began to attend school. Father Chichikov's last instructions were the words: “Most of all, please teachers and bosses.” They became the main principle of the life of the main character.
Chichikov did not have any special skills for education. He was always a modest and quiet student. Pavel Ivanovich was a man with a practical mindset. He did not spend the fifty dollars that his father left him, but managed to increase it by selling baked goods to his comrades. All his life Chichikov saved money not out of greed. He wanted a beautiful and well-fed life.
Later he entered the service of the treasury chamber, where he occupied the lowest position. There he pleases the boss as best he can, shows signs of attention to his daughter, and even promises to take her as his wife. Later, having received a higher position, Chichikov forgets about marriage.
After a while, he became a member of the commission for the construction of a state-owned house. Construction continued for six years, but the state house was never built. But each member of the commission got his own brand new house. Later the boss was changed, and all property was confiscated.
Chichikov was again left penniless. He gets a job at customs. There he shows his abilities in searching smugglers, for which he receives a promotion. After this, Pavel Ivanovich enters into an agreement with the smugglers, receiving huge profits from this. Over time, this connection became obvious, and Chichikov was put on trial. Somehow the main character escapes criminal punishment. He again loses his fortune.
After this, he comes up with the idea of buying dead souls, because with them he can get a bank loan and escape with the money. It is for this purpose that Chichikov comes to the city of “NN”.
Gogol treats his hero as an acquirer of the owner. Many people may not like him. To which the author recommends that everyone look into their soul and answer the question: “Isn’t there some part of Chichikov in me too?”
The poem ends with Chichikov’s chaise rushing along the road, and the main character himself smiles, as he loves driving fast.
Summary
VOLUME 1 Chapter 1
A chaise carrying Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov drives into the gates of a hotel in the provincial town of NN. He “is not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.” Two men stand at the door of the tavern and, looking at the wheel of the carriage, reason: “If it happened, would that wheel get to Moscow or not?” The tavern servant meets Chichikov. The guest looks around his room, where the coachman Selifan and the footman Petrushka are bringing in “his belongings.” While the servants were busy, “the master went to the common room,” where he ordered lunch, during which he asked the servant about the city and its order, “did not miss a single significant official,” “asked about all the significant landowners,” “asked carefully about the state of the region.” " After lunch, Chichikov rested in his room, and then “he wrote on a piece of paper, at the request of the tavern servant, his rank, first and last name for reporting to the appropriate place, to the police,” the following: “Collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, landowner, in his own way.” needs."
Chichikov went to inspect the city and “found that the city was in no way inferior to other provincial cities.” In the text the author gives a description of a provincial town. During a walk, Chichikov tears a poster from a pole and, returning to the hotel, reads it, “squinting his right eye a little.”
The next day, Chichikov pays visits to all city dignitaries: he visits the governor, then the vice-governor, the prosecutor, the chairman of the chamber, the police chief, the tax farmer, the head of state-owned factories, the inspector of the medical board and the city architect. In conversations with officials, Chichikov “skilfully knew how to flatter everyone,” for which the officials invited him “some to lunch, some to Boston, some for a cup of tea.” They learn very little about the person passing by, since he spoke about himself “in some commonplaces, with noticeable modesty,” referring to the fact that “he is an insignificant worm of this world and is not worthy of being cared for much.”
At the governor’s party, where “everything was flooded with light” and the guests resembled flies that flew into the room “just to show themselves, to walk back and forth on the sugar heap,” the governor introduces Chichikov to the governor’s wife. At the ball, the passer-by is busy thinking about men who, as everywhere else, “were of two kinds,” thin and fat, “or the same as Chichikov.” Chichikov meets “the very courteous and polite landowner Manilov and the somewhat clumsy-looking Sobakevich,” from whom he learns the state of their estates and how many peasants they have. Manilov, “who had eyes as sweet as sugar and squinted them every time he laughed,” invites Chichikov to his estate, since he is “without memory” from the guest. Pavel Ivanovich receives the same invitation from Sobakevich.
While visiting the police chief the next day, Chichikov meets the landowner Nozdryov, a “broken fellow,” who, after three or four words, began to say “you” to him. The next day Chichikov spent the evening with the chairman of the chamber, who received his guests in a dressing gown. After that, I was with the vice-governor, at dinner with the tax farmer, and with the prosecutor. He returned to the hotel only to “fall asleep.” He is ready to support a conversation on any topic. City officials were pleased that such a “decent man” visited them. “The governor explained about him that he is a well-intentioned person; the prosecutor - that he is a sensible person; the gendarme colonel said that he was a learned man; the chairman of the chamber - that he is a knowledgeable and respectable person; the police chief - that he is a respectable and kind person,” and in Sobakevich’s opinion, Chichikov was a “pleasant person.”
Chichikov has been in the city for more than a week. He decides to visit Manilov and Sobakevich and therefore gives orders to his servants, coachman Selifan and footman Petrushka. The latter should stay at the hotel and look after things. Petrushka “read everything with equal attention,” since he preferred “the process of reading itself, that “some word always comes out of the letters,” slept without undressing and “always carried with him some kind of special air of his own.” As for the coachman, he “was a completely different person.”
Chichikov goes to Manilov. A long search for the landowner's estate. Description of the estate. The guest is joyfully greeted by Manilov. “In appearance he was a distinguished man; His facial features were not devoid of pleasantness, but this pleasantness seemed to have too much sugar in it; in his techniques and turns there was something ingratiating favor and acquaintance. He smiled enticingly, was blond, with blue eyes. In the first minute of a conversation with him, you can’t help but say: “What a pleasant and kind person!” The next minute you won’t say anything, and the third you’ll say: “The devil knows what it is!” - and move away; If you don’t leave, you will feel mortal boredom. You won’t get any lively or even arrogant words from him, which you can hear from almost anyone if you touch an object that offends him.” Manilov cannot be called a master, since his “economy somehow went on by itself.” He had many ideas in his head, but “all these projects ended only in words.” For two years he has been reading a book with a bookmark on page fourteen. In the living room there is beautiful furniture upholstered in expensive silk fabric, but two armchairs, on which there was not enough fabric, are upholstered in matting. In some rooms there was no furniture at all. “In the evening, a very dandy candlestick made of dark bronze with three antique graces, with a dandy mother-of-pearl shield, was served on the table, and next to it was placed some simple copper invalid, lame, curled up to the side and covered in fat, although neither the owner noticed this, neither mistress nor servants.”
Manilov's wife matches her husband. There is no order in the house. “Manilova was brought up well.” She received her upbringing in a boarding school, where “three main subjects form the basis of human virtues: the French language, necessary for the happiness of family life, the piano, for bringing pleasant moments to the spouse, and, finally, the actual economic part: knitting wallets and other surprises.”
Present at dinner are the sons of the Manilovs: Fepistoclus and Alcides, who are at that age “when children are already seated at the table, but not yet. high chairs." Next to the children was their teacher, who watched the conversation and tried to show the same emotions as them, since “he wanted to pay the owner for his good treatment.” His face took on a serious look when one of Manilov’s sons bit his brother’s ear, and the second was ready to burst into tears, but restrained himself and through his tears, smeared with fat, began gnawing on a lamb bone. Over dinner there is a conversation “about the pleasures of a quiet life.”
After lunch, Chichikov and Manilov have a business conversation in the owner’s office. “The room was definitely not without its pleasantness: the walls were painted with some kind of blue paint, like gray, four chairs, one armchair, a table on which lay a book with a bookmark... several papers written on, but most of all there was tobacco. It came in different forms: in caps and in a tobacco box, and, finally, it was simply poured in a heap on the table. On both windows there were also piles of ash knocked out of the pipe, arranged, not without effort, in very beautiful rows. It was noticeable that this sometimes gave the owner a good time.” The guest asks: “How long ago did you deign to submit your audit report?” A clerk appears and reports that the peasants were dying, but they were not counted. Chichikov asks him to make a “detailed register of everyone by name.” Manilov wonders why Chichikov needs this, and hears in response “such strange and unusual things that human ears have never heard before.” Chichikov offers to buy dead souls, which “would be listed as living” according to the audit. After that, both sat, “gazing at each other, like those portraits that in the old days were hung one against the other on both sides of the mirror.” Chichikov promises that the law will be respected, since he is “numb before the law.” According to Chichikov, “such an enterprise, or negotiation, will in no way be inconsistent with civil regulations and further developments in Russia,” and “the treasury will even receive benefits, because it will receive legal duties.” Manilov gives the dead souls to Chichikov “without interest.” The guest thanks the owner and hurries in. the road. He says goodbye to the Manilov family and, asking how to get to Sobakevich, leaves. Manilov indulges in daydreaming, imagining how he lives next door with a friend, how they work together to improve the area, spend evenings over tea, in pleasant conversations, and in his thoughts reaches the point that the sovereign, for their strong friendship, rewards him and Chichikov with a general’s honor. rank.
Chichikov heads to Sobakevich and gets caught in the rain, his coachman goes off the road. “It was so dark you could prick your eyes out.” Hearing a dog barking, Chichikov tells the coachman to urge the horses. The chaise hits the fence with its shafts, Selifan goes to look for the gate. A hoarse woman's voice reports that they ended up on the estate of Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. Chichikov stops at the landowner's house for the night. He is led into a room that “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; a wall clock with painted flowers on the dial... it was hard to notice anything.” The owner of the estate, “an elderly woman, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, one of those mothers, small landowners who cry about crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they gradually gain a little money in colorful bags placed on dresser drawers. All the rubles are taken into one bag, fifty dollars into another, quarters into a 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 torn cloak.” The hostess says that it is already late and nothing can be prepared. When asked how far it is from her estate to Sobakevich’s estate, she replies that she has never heard of such a landowner.
In the morning, over tea, Chichikov asks Korobochka about the dead souls he wants to buy from her. Afraid of selling herself short and not understanding why the guest needs “such a strange product,” she invites him to buy honey or hemp from her. Chichikov continues to insist on buying dead souls. Mentally, he calls the old woman “club-headed,” since he cannot convince her that this is a profitable enterprise for her. Only after he reports that he is conducting government contracts (which is not true), the hostess agrees to complete the deed of sale. Chichikov asks if she has someone she knows in the city so that she can authorize him to “perform the fortress and everything that should be done.” He composes a letter of trust to himself. The hostess wants to appease an important official. The box where Chichikov keeps his papers has many compartments and a secret drawer for money. Korobochka admires his box. The guest asks the hostess of the house to prepare a “small list of men.” She tells him that she doesn’t keep any notes and knows almost everyone by heart. The men of Korobochka have strange surnames. “He was especially struck by a certain Pyotr Savelyev Disrespect-Trough, so that he could not help but say: “What a long one!” Another had “Cow Brick” attached to the name, another turned out to be simply: Wheel Ivan.” After this, the hostess treats the guest to an unleavened pie with eggs and pancakes. Chichikov leaves. Korobochka sends with a chaise a girl of about eleven years old, who “doesn’t know where the right is and where the left is,” to escort the guests. When the tavern became visible, the girl was sent home, giving her a copper penny for her service.
Hungry, Chichikov stops at a tavern, which “was something like a Russian hut, somewhat larger.” He is invited to enter by an old woman, who during the meal Chichikov asks if she herself runs the tavern. In the conversation he tries to find out which landowners live nearby. Nozdryov’s chaise arrives, and then the landowner himself appears, who arrived with his son-in-law Mizhuev. “He was of average height, a very well-built fellow with full rosy cheeks, teeth as white as snow and jet-black sideburns. It was fresh, like blood and milk; his health seemed to be dripping from his face.” Chichikov learns that Nozdryov lost his money and the money of his son-in-law Mizhuev, who is right there, at the fair, and also “lost four trotters - he lost everything.” He was wearing neither chain nor watch. It seemed to Chichikov that “one of his sideburns was smaller and not as thick as the other.” Nozdryov assures that “the fair was excellent,” that he drank seventeen bottles of champagne, to which his fellow traveler objected that he couldn’t even drink ten bottles. Hearing that Chichikov is heading to Sobakevich, Nozdryov laughs and calls this landowner a “Jew.” He persistently invites Chichikov to his place, promising a tasty treat, and then asks Porfiry to bring a puppy from the chaise to show it to Chichikov. Nozdryov invites Chichikov to visit him first, and then to Sobakevich. He, after thinking, agrees. At the tavern, his son-in-law pays for the vodka that Nozdryov drank. There are many people like Nozdryov. “They are called broken fellows, they are reputed even in childhood and at school for being good comrades, and for all that they can be beaten very painfully. In their faces you can always see something open, direct, and daring. They soon become acquainted, and “before you have time to look back, they are already saying “you.” They will make friends, it seems, forever; but it almost always happens that the person who has become friends will fight with them that same evening at a friendly party. They are always talkers, revelers, reckless drivers, prominent people. Nozdryov at thirty-five was exactly the same as he was at eighteen and twenty: a lover of a walk. Marriage did not change him at all, especially since his wife soon went to the next world, leaving two children who were decidedly not to him. needed... Nozdryov was, in some respects, a historical man. Not a single meeting where he was present was complete without a story... The closer someone got to know him, he was more likely to make trouble for everyone: he spread a fable, the stupidest of which is difficult to invent, upset a wedding, a trade deal and did not at all consider himself your enemy... Nozdryov was in many respects a multifaceted man, that is, a man of all trades.” He loved to “trade whatever he has for whatever he wants.” Such Nozdryovs are “everywhere among us.”
At his estate, Nozdryov shows Chichikov “absolutely everything.” First they headed to the stable, where Chichikov saw two mares, one dappled gray, the other brown, as well as an unprepossessing bay stallion, which, according to the owner, cost him ten thousand, which his relative immediately doubted. Nozdryov showed his guest a wolf cub on a leash, which was being fed raw meat. Showing the pond, Nozdryov boasted that the fish in it were of incredible size. In the yard Chichinov saw “all sorts of dogs, both thick-dog and pure-dog, of all possible colors and stripes.” Then they examined a blind Crimean bitch. We went to inspect the water mill and forge, reaching the borders of the estate through the field, and then returned to the house. Only sabers and two guns hung in the office. The guest was shown Turkish daggers, one of which bore the mark of master Savely Sibiryakov, and then a barrel organ and pipes. Chichikov was dissatisfied with the dinner, which was not given much attention in this house, since “some things were burnt, some were not cooked at all.” Various wines were served, which Chichikov was afraid to drink.
After Mizhuev leaves home, Chichikov asks Nozdryov to transfer the dead souls that have not yet been deleted from the audit into his name, and explains that he needs them for a successful marriage, since for the bride’s parents it is extremely important how many peasants he has . Nozdryov does not believe Chichikov. He is ready to give him dead souls, but Chichikov must buy from him a stallion, a mare, a dog, a barrel organ, etc. To this Chichikov refuses. Nozdryov offers to play cards with him. Chichikov himself is not happy that he got involved with Nozdryov, who began to insult him. Holding a grudge against Chichikov, Nozdryov gives orders to the coachman not to give his horses oats, but only to feed him hay. After dinner, Nozdryov leads Chichikov into a side room without saying good night. The night was unpleasant for the guest, as “small, lively insects” bit him. The next morning Chichikov hurries to leave. Nozdryov invites Chichikov to play checkers with him, promising that if he wins, he will give him the dead souls. During the game, Nozdryov is clearly cheating. Suspecting this, Chichikov stops the game, accusing Nozdryov of cheating. He is ready to hit the guest in the face, but does not do this, but calls the servants and orders them to beat the offender. A police captain appears who, “on the occasion of inflicting a personal insult on the landowner Maximov with rods while drunk,” arrests Nozdryov. Taking advantage of these circumstances, Chichikov hurries to leave and orders his coachman to “drive the horses at full speed.”
Chichikov thought with horror about Nozdrev. His coachman was also dissatisfied, calling the landowner a “bad gentleman.” It seemed that the horses also thought “unfavorably” about Nozdrev. Soon, through the fault of the coachman, Chichikov's chaise collides with another chaise, in which there are an elderly lady and a sixteen-year-old beauty. The village men separate the horses and then raise the chaises. After the collision, Chichikov thinks about the young stranger, silently calling her “glorious grandmother.” “Anything can be done from her, she can be a miracle, or she can turn out to be rubbish, and she can turn out to be rubbish! Just let the mothers and aunties take care of her now.” He wonders who this girl’s parents are and whether they are wealthy. “After all, if, let’s say, this girl was given a dowry of two hundred thousand, she could make a very, very tasty morsel. This could constitute, so to speak, the happiness of a decent person.”
Description of Sobakevich's estate. The landowner’s house was “like the ones we build for military settlements and German colonists. It was noticeable that during its construction the architect constantly struggled with the taste of the owner. The architect was a pedant and wanted symmetry, the owner wanted convenience... The landowner seemed to be concerned a lot about strength.” Everything was done thoroughly, “without shakyness, in some kind of strong and clumsy order.” The owner reminds Chichikov of a “medium-sized bear.” “To complete the similarity, the tailcoat he was wearing was completely bear-colored, the sleeves were long, the trousers were long, he walked with his feet this way and that, constantly stepping on other people’s feet. His complexion was red-hot, the kind you get on a copper coin. It is known that there are many such persons in the world, over the finishing of which nature did not spend much time, did not use any small tools, such as files, gimlets and other things, but simply chopped from her shoulder: she hit with an ax once - her nose came out, she grabbed another - her lips came out, she picked her eyes with a large drill and, without scraping them, she let them into the light, saying: “he lives!” The owner's name is Mikhail Semenovich. In the living room there are paintings on the walls depicting Greek generals, and there is a cage with a blackbird by the window. Sobakevich introduces the guest to his wife, Feodulia Ivanovna. In the room where the owner brings the guest, “everything was solid, awkward to the highest degree and had some strange resemblance to the owner of the house himself; in the corner of the living room stood a pot-bellied walnut bureau on the most absurd four legs, a perfect bear. The table, armchairs, chairs - everything was of the heaviest and most restless quality - in a word, every object, every chair seemed to say: “And I, too, Sobakevich!” or: “And I, too, am very similar to Sobakevich!”” Sobakevich speaks straightforwardly about officials: the chairman of the chamber - “he’s just a Freemason, and such a fool as the world has never produced,” the governor - “the first robber in the world, just give him a knife Yes, let him out onto the highway - he’ll kill him, he’ll kill him for a penny! He and even the vice-governor are Goga and Magog!
Over a hearty dinner, Sobakevich talks about Plyushkin as an extremely stingy man who lives next door to him and owns eight hundred peasants.
After a hearty lunch, Chichikov decides to talk to the owner about his business. Sobakevich listens to him for a long time. “It seemed that this body had no soul at all, or it had one, but not at all where it should be, but, like the immortal Koshchei, somewhere behind the mountains and covered with such a thick shell that everything that moved on at the bottom of it, did not produce absolutely any shock on the surface.” Sobakevich is not surprised that Chichikov is buying up dead souls. He is ready to sell them “for a hundred rubles apiece,” characterizing each peasant as a master of his craft: coachmaker Mikheev, carpenter Probka Stepan, brickmaker Milushkin, shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov. Chichikov notes that the qualities of the peasants are not so important, since the souls are dead. Sobakevich hints “that this kind of purchase... is not always permissible...”. After much bargaining, the price for a dead soul is three rubles. Sobakevich writes a list of peasants and asks for a deposit. In response to this, Chichikov wants him to give him a receipt for the money. Everyone is afraid that they might be deceived. Sobakevich offers to buy the “female” at a cheap price, but Chichikov refuses. Chichikov goes to Plyushkin, whom the peasants call “patched,” adding to this word the noun “very successful, but not commonly used in social conversation.” “The Russian people express themselves strongly! And if he rewards someone with a word, then it will go to his family and posterity, he will drag it with him into service, and into retirement, and to St. Petersburg, and to the ends of the world. And no matter how cunningly or ennobled your nickname is then, even if you force the writing people to derive it for rent from the ancient princely family, nothing will help: the nickname will caw for itself at the top of its crow’s throat and say clearly where the bird flew from.”
A lyrical digression about travel. The author notes that in his youth “it was fun to drive up to an unfamiliar place for the first time,” since “a child’s curious gaze revealed a lot of curiosity in him.” “Now I indifferently approach any unfamiliar village and indifferently look at its vulgar appearance; It’s unpleasant to my chilled gaze, it’s not funny to me, and what would have awakened in previous years a lively movement in the face, laughter and silent speech, now slides past, and my motionless lips keep an indifferent silence. Oh my youth!
Once on Plyushkin’s estate, “he noticed a particular disrepair in all the village buildings.” The manor's house appeared before Chichikov's gaze. “This strange castle looked like some kind of decrepit invalid, long, prohibitively long. In some places it was one floor, in others it was two; on the dark roof, which did not always reliably protect his old age, two belvederes stuck out, one opposite the other, both already shaky, devoid of the paint that once covered them. The walls of the house were cracked in places by the bare plaster lattice and, apparently, had suffered a lot from all sorts of bad weather, rain, whirlwinds and autumn changes. Only two of the windows were open; the others were covered with shutters or even boarded up. These two windows, for their part, were also weak-sighted; on one of them there was a dark stick-on triangle made of blue sugar paper.” Chichikov sees some figure and for a long time cannot recognize what gender it is: “is it a man or a woman.” “The dress she was wearing was completely indefinite, very similar to a woman’s hood, on her head was a cap, like that worn by village courtyard women, only one voice seemed to him somewhat hoarse for a woman.” Chichikov decided that it was the housekeeper in front of him, then, looking closer, “he saw that it was more likely the housekeeper...”.
The housekeeper leads Chichikov into the house, which amazes him with its “disorder.” “It seemed as if the floors were being washed in the house and all the furniture had been piled here for a while. On one table there was even a broken chair, and next to it a clock with a stopped pendulum, to which the spider had already attached its web. There was also a cabinet leaning sideways against the wall with antique silver, decanters and Chinese porcelain. On the bureau, lined with mother-of-pearl mosaic, which in some places had already fallen out and left behind only yellow grooves filled with glue, lay a lot of all sorts of things ... "
Chichikov asked where the owner was and was surprised when the housekeeper said that it was him. Chichikov had seen all sorts of people, but this was the first time in his life that he had seen such a person. “His face was nothing special; it was almost the same as that of many thin old men, one chin only protruded very far forward, so that he had to cover it with a handkerchief every time so as not to spit; the small eyes had not yet gone out and ran from under their high eyebrows, like mice, when, sticking their sharp muzzles out of the dark holes, pricking their ears and blinking their whiskers, they look out to see if a cat or a naughty boy is hiding somewhere, and sniff the very air suspiciously. Much more remarkable was his outfit: no amount of effort or effort could have been used to find out what his robe was made of: the sleeves and upper flaps were so greasy and shiny that they looked like the kind of yuft that goes into boots; “In the back, instead of two, there were four floors dangling, from which cotton paper came out in flakes.” Plyushkin had “more than a thousand souls.” Despite the fact that in his work yard there is a “destruction” of all sorts of supplies that cannot be consumed in a lifetime, it seems to Plyushkin that this is not enough, and therefore he goes around the village and picks up what he finds, putting everything in a pile in the corner of the room.
The once rich landowner Stepan Plyushkin lived differently. He was a thrifty owner, to whom a neighbor visited to “learn from him about housekeeping and wise stinginess.” Plyushkin had a wife, two daughters and a son, in addition, a French teacher and a mentor of two girls lived in the house. He became a widower early and therefore “became more restless and, like all widowers, more suspicious and stingy.” He cursed his eldest daughter after she ran away with an officer of a cavalry regiment and married him. The son joined the military, and the youngest daughter died. “Lonely life has given satisfying food to avarice, which, as you know, has a ravenous hunger and the more it devours, the more insatiable it becomes; human feelings, which were not deep in him anyway, became shallow every minute, and every day something was lost in this worn-out ruin.” Because of his stinginess, he could not bargain with anyone. “Hay and bread rotted, luggage and haystacks turned into pure manure, flour in the cellars turned into stone, cloth, linens and household materials were scary to touch: they turned to dust.” Plyushkin accumulated his fortune through little things, picking up other people's things that someone had accidentally forgotten. He does not take advantage of large quitrents from serfs. For all the servants, he has only a pair of boots; the peasants walk barefoot. Plyushkin with his economy “finally turned into some kind of hole in humanity.” Twice his daughter came to Plyushkin, hoping to get something from her father, but both times she left with nothing.
Chichikov tells Plyushkin what the purpose of his visit is. Plyushkin agrees to sell him the dead peasants, and also offers to buy the fugitives. Bargain for every penny. Plyushkin hides the banknotes received from Chichikov in a box in which they will lie until the owner’s death. Refusing tea and treats, Chichikov, to Plyushkin’s joy, returns to the hotel. Plyushkin makes sure that the crackers from the Easter cake are put away in the pantry. Chichikov was in a good mood all the way. Petrushka meets him at the hotel.
A lyrical digression in which Gogol reflects on two types of writers, one of whom “... from the great pool of daily rotating images chose only a few exceptions...”, and the other exposes “... all the terrible, stunning mud of little things that have entangled our lives, the whole depth of the cold, fragmented, everyday characters...".
Chichikov woke up and felt that he had slept well. After registering the deeds of sale, he became the owner of four hundred dead souls. Looking at himself in the mirror, Chichikov “made two jumps around the room, smacking himself very deftly with the heel of his foot,” “in front of the box he rubbed his hands with the same pleasure as an incorruptible zemstvo court that has come out for an investigation rubs them,” and began to compose, write and rewrite fortresses, “so as not to pay anything to the clerks.” He ponders who the peasants he bought were during their lifetime. He finds out that Sobakevich deceived him by adding Elizaveta Vorobey to the list and crosses her off.
On the street Chichikov meets Manilov, with whom they go to make a deed of sale. In order to speed things up, in the office Chichikov quietly gives a bribe to an official whose name is Ivan Antonovich Kuvshinnoye Rylo, who covers the banknote with a book. Sobakevich is with the boss. Chichikov, citing the fact that he urgently needs to leave, asks to complete the deed of sale within one day. He gives Plyushkin’s letter to the chairman with a request that he be an attorney in his case. The chairman agrees to be the attorney. Witnesses appear, the necessary documents are drawn up. Chichikov pays half of the fee to the treasury, since “the other half was attributed in some incomprehensible way to the account of another petitioner.”
Everyone goes to lunch with the police chief, who was “in the right place and understood his position to perfection.” The merchants said about him that “Alexei Ivanovich, “even though he will take you, he will certainly not give you away.” During lunch, Sobakevich eats a large sturgeon, which the police chief wanted to surprise those present with, but did not have time. Many toasts were made at the table. Those gathered decide to marry Chichikov, to which he remarks that “there would be a bride.” In a good position on the prosecutor's droshky, Chichikov goes to the hotel, where he gives Selifan "household orders." Petrushka takes off the master's boots and puts him to bed.
Petrushka and Selifan head “to the house that was opposite the hotel,” from which they leave an hour later, “holding hands, maintaining complete silence, showing each other great attention and warning each other against any corners.” Soon everyone in the hotel falls asleep, only the light is on in the window of the lieutenant who has arrived from Ryazan.
Chichikov's purchases do not leave the city's inhabitants alone. There are various conversations about what kind of peasants Chichikov bought and what it will be like for them in the new place, what kind of manager is needed on the farm, and it is also suggested that during the resettlement a riot may arise among the peasants, and advice is given to Chichikov to treat the peasants with “military cruelty” “or engage in “beneficent enlightenment.” For the safe delivery of the peasants to their place, Chichikov is offered a convoy, which Chichikov flatly refuses, since, according to him, the purchased peasants have an “excellently meek character.” Residents of the city of Chichikov “loved him even more sincerely,” calling him “a millionaire.” The text follows a description of the residents of the city N.
The ladies are delighted with Chichikov. One day, returning home, he found a letter on the table that began with the words: “No, I must write to you!” Next came a confession of sincere feelings and it was said that at the ball, which would take place the next day, Chichikov would have to recognize the one who had revealed herself to him. Chichikov is invited to the governor's ball. For an hour he sits in front of the mirror, adopting significant poses and facial expressions. While at the ball, he tries to find out who sent him a love letter. Chichikov meets the governor's daughter. She turns out to be the sixteen-year-old beauty whom he saw when two chaises collided. “It is impossible to say for sure whether the feeling of love has truly awakened in our hero - it is even doubtful that gentlemen of this kind, that is, not so fat, but not so thin, are capable of love; but despite all this, there was something so strange here, something of the kind that he could not explain to himself: it seemed to him, as he himself later admitted, that the whole ball, with all its talk and noise, had become somewhat minutes as if somewhere far away.” The ladies present at the ball were offended by Chichikov because he did not pay any attention to them. “In some dry and ordinary words he casually uttered, they found caustic hints.” The ladies began to whisper about him “in the most unfavorable way.” He cannot captivate the girl with small talk, as the military can do, and therefore makes her bored. Nozdryov, who appeared at the ball with the governor, tells how Chichikov tried to buy dead souls from him. It’s hard to believe what you heard, but the ladies pick up the news. Chichikov tries to distract himself by sitting down to play whist, but the game doesn’t go well. Even at the table, despite the fact that Nozdryov was expelled for scandalous behavior, he feels uncomfortable, talking to himself about balls. “But he is a strange man: he was greatly upset by the dislike of those very people whom he did not respect and about whom he spoke harshly, blaspheming their vanity and outfits.”
Korobochka comes to the city to find out if she sold the dead souls to Chichikov.
Gossip is spreading around the city. The men of the city are interested in buying dead souls, and the ladies are discussing how Chichikov is going to kidnap the governor’s daughter. New ones are added to the existing gossip. Two incidents are associated with “dead souls”: the first happened with “some Solvychegodsk merchants who came to the city for a fair and after the auction gave their friends the Ust-Sysolsk merchants a feast”, which ended in a fight, as a result of which “the Solvychegodsk merchants left to the death of the Ust-Sysolsky merchants” and their “ buried like the dead"; another event was as follows: “the state-owned peasants of the village Vshivaya-arrogance, having united with the same peasants of the village of Borovka, Zadirailovo, and also, wiped off the face of the earth the supposedly zemstvo police in the person of an assessor, some Drobyazhkin,” who “looked closely at the women and village girls." The governor received two papers, one of which contained information about “a counterfeit banknote maker hiding under different names,” and the other reported about a “robber who had fled from legal prosecution” and should be apprehended. This circumstance completely confused the residents of the city. The officials decide to question the landowners from whom Chichikov bought dead souls. Chichikov's servants are subjected to the same questions. There comes a time when you need to figure everything out: “is he the kind of person who needs to be detained and captured as ill-intentioned, or is he the kind of person who can himself grab and detain them all as ill-intentioned.” The officials decide to meet with the police chief.
City officials meet with the police chief at a council in which “there was a noticeable absence of that necessary thing that the common people call proper.” The author discusses the peculiarities of holding meetings or charity events.
According to the postmaster, Chichikov is none other than Captain Kopeikin, and the postmaster tells his story.
THE TALE ABOUT CAPTAIN KOPEYKIN
Captain Kopeikin, whose arm and leg were torn off, was sent along with the wounded after the 1812 campaign. He returned home, but his father told him that he had nothing to feed him, and therefore Kopeikin was forced to go to St. Petersburg to the sovereign to find out “if there would be any royal mercy.” Somehow he made it to the capital, where he “took refuge in a Revel tavern for a ruble a day.” He was advised to contact the Higher Commission. Since the sovereign “was not yet in the capital at that time,” he goes to the head of the commission, whom he waits for four hours in the reception room. When the nobleman came out, those gathered in the reception room fell silent. He asks everyone what business they came to him with. After listening to Kopeikin, he promised to do everything possible and offered to come by one of these days. The captain went to a tavern, where he drank vodka, had lunch at London, went to the theater and had a blast. Having looked at the Englishwoman, he decided to follow her, but put it off until he received a “pension.” After the next visit to the nobleman, it turns out that he will not be able to help without the king’s special permission. Kopeikin’s money is running out, and the nobleman doesn’t want to accept him anymore. Having broken through to the general, the disabled person tries to achieve a solution to his fate, but in vain. The general expels Kopeikin from the capital at public expense. Since the captain did not get a solution to his problem, he decided that he would take care of himself. It is unknown where Kopeikin went, but a gang of robbers appeared in the Ryazan forests.
The police chief interrupted the story in bewilderment, since Chichikov’s arm and leg were intact. After this, the postmaster, slapping himself on the forehead, calls himself “veal” in front of everyone. According to the new version, Chichikov is Napoleon in disguise. After long conversations and reflections, they again ask Nozdryov about Chichikov, and he lies that he sold dead souls to Chichikov for several thousand rubles, that they studied together at school, where Chichikov was called “fiscal”, that Chichikov prints fake notes, that in fact Chichikov wanted to take away the governor’s daughter and that he, Nozdryov, helped him in this, and the village where the newlyweds were supposed to get married, “precisely the village of Trukhmachevka,” what kind of wedding was that – “seventy-five rubles.” Having listened to Nozdrev’s tales, “the officials were left in an even worse position than they were before.”
The prosecutor dies of fear. Chichikov got a slight cold - “flux and a slight inflammation in the throat,” and therefore does not leave the house. He cannot understand why no one visited him during his illness or inquired about his health. Three days later he goes “out into the fresh air.” Finding himself in front of the governor’s entrance, he hears from the doorman that “there are no orders to accept.” The chairman of the chamber said such “rubbish” to him that they both felt ashamed. Chichikov notices that he is not accepted anywhere, and if they are accepted, it is in a rather strange way. When he returns to his hotel in the evening, Nozdryov appears and tells Chichikov about who the townspeople think he is, adding to everything that the prosecutor died due to Chichikov’s fault. Hearing that he is suspected of intending to take away the governor's daughter, Chichikov is perplexed. Fearing that he won’t be able to get out of this story quickly, Chichikov orders everyone to get ready for the trip: Selifan must have everything ready by six, and Petrushka is told to pull out the suitcase from under the bed.
The next morning, for a number of reasons, Chichikov was unable to leave the city: he overslept, the chaise was not laid, the horses were not shod, the wheel would not go even two stations. He scolds Selifan, who did not inform him earlier about all the shortcomings. I had to spend a long time working with the blacksmiths. Only in the evening does he manage to hit the road. Because of the funeral procession they were forced to stop. When Chichikov finds out who is being buried, “he immediately hid in a corner, covered himself with skin and drew the curtains.” He didn’t want anyone to recognize his crew, but he “began timidly to look through the glass in the leather curtains” at those seeing off the dead man. City officials follow the coffin, talking about the new governor-general. Chichikov thinks that “they say it means happiness if you meet a dead person.” Finally he leaves the city. Lyrical digression about Rus'. "Rus! Rus! I see you, from my wonderful, beautiful distance I see you: poor, scattered and uncomfortable in you... Rus'! what do you want from me? what incomprehensible connection is hidden between us?
The author exclaims: “How strange, and alluring, and carrying, and wonderful in the word: road! And how wonderful it is, this road...” Then there are discussions about the hero of the literary work and about the origin of Chichikov. The author says that the reader did not like him, since “a virtuous person is still not taken as a hero.” The author's goal was to “finally hide the scoundrel.”
Chichikov was born into a noble family and does not look like his parents. “At the beginning, life looked at him somehow sourly and unpleasantly, through some cloudy, snow-covered window: no friend, no comrade in childhood!” His father took him to the city to visit a relative, a “flabby old woman,” who “patted the boy on the cheek and admired his plumpness.” Here he had to go to classes at the city school. When parting, the parent advised his son to please his teachers and superiors, communicate only with rich comrades, not share with anyone, behave in such a way that he would be treated, and save a penny, which can do everything in life. His father’s words “sank deep into his soul.” The boy was not distinguished by his abilities, but “more by his diligence and neatness.” His comrades treated him, and he hid the treats, and then sold them to those who treated him. To the half-ruble received from his father, he made “additions, showing almost extraordinary resourcefulness: he molded a bullfinch out of wax, painted it and sold it very profitably.” He sold “edibles” to rich comrades during classes, showed for money a trained mouse that “stood on its hind legs, lay down and stood up when ordered.” Having saved five rubles, “he sewed up the bag and began saving in another.” “Chichikov suddenly understood the spirit of a boss and what behavior should consist of,” and therefore “he was in excellent standing and upon graduation received a full certificate in all sciences, a certificate and a book with golden letters for exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.” When his father dies, Chichikov sells “a dilapidated little yard with insignificant land for a thousand rubles.” The teacher who considered Pavlusha the best student is expelled from the school. Former students collect money for him, but only Chichikov refused to help him, to which the teacher remarks with tears: “Eh, Pavlusha! This is how a person changes! After all, he was so well-behaved, nothing violent, silk! I cheated, I cheated a lot..."
Chichikov lived with thoughts of “life in all comforts, with all sorts of prosperity,” and therefore saved a penny. He is assigned to serve in the government chamber, where he turns out to be the complete opposite of the officials. Chichikov pleases the boss, takes care of his ugly daughter, soon moves into his house, becomes a groom, seeks promotion up the career ladder: instead of the old police officer, “he himself became a police officer in one vacant position that opened up.” After that, he moves to a new apartment, and “the matter is hushed up” about the wedding. Chichikov becomes a “noticeable person.” In the service he takes bribes, is included in the commission for the construction of a government building, but “the government building did not go higher than the foundation.” With the arrival of a new boss, Chichikov is forced to start his career all over again. He enters the customs service, “this service has long been the secret subject of his thoughts.” He shows a talent for searches and inspections. For his selfless service, he was noticed by his superiors and received a rank and promotion. Presenting a project to capture smugglers, he receives a lot of money from them. Chichikov quarrels with the official, calling him a popovich, and he, offended, sends a secret denunciation against him, and therefore “secret relations with smugglers have become obvious.” Chichikov and the comrade with whom he shared are put on trial, their property is confiscated. Chichikov is all in thought about why it was he who “was beset by trouble.”
Taking care of “his descendants,” Chichikov begins working as an attorney. The task that he was entrusted with was the following: “to arrange for the inclusion of several hundred peasants in the guardianship council.” And here Chichikov “was struck by the most inspired thought”: “yes, buy all these people who have died out, have not yet submitted new revision tales, buy them, let’s say, a thousand, yes, let’s say, the guardianship council will give two hundred rubles per head: that’s it.” two hundred thousand capital!
The author, reflecting on the attitude of readers towards the hero, says that it is unknown how Chichikov’s future fate will turn out, where his chaise will stop. “It’s most fair to call him: owner, acquirer. The acquisition is his fault; because of him, deeds were carried out that the world would call not very pure.” The author talks about human passions. Fearing that accusations from patriots might fall on him, he talks about Kif Mokievich and Mokiya Kifovich, father and son who “lived in one remote place.” The father did not take care of the family, but rather turned more “to the speculative side,” for example, to the question of the birth of animals. “While the father was busy giving birth to the beast, the twenty-year-old broad-shouldered nature” of his son “was trying to turn around.” Everyone in the area is afraid of their son, since he destroys everything that comes into his hands, and the father does not want to interfere in anything: “If he remains a dog, then let them not find out about it from me, even if I did not give him away.” "
The author reproaches the readers: “You are afraid of a deeply fixed gaze, you are afraid to fix your deep gaze on something, you like to glide over everything with unthinking eyes.” It is possible that everyone can find “some part of Chichikov” in themselves.
Chichikov woke up and shouted at Selifan. “The horses stirred up and carried the light chaise like feathers.” Chichikov smiled because he liked driving fast. “And what Russian doesn’t like driving fast?” A lyrical digression about the three-bird. “Isn’t it like that, too, Rus', that you’re rushing along like a brisk, unstoppable troika?.. Rus', where are you rushing?”
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