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We often say that happiness cannot be found in money, but at the same time we always note that a person with money is in a more advantageous position and can afford more than a poor person. A bunch of works of art on the topic of a wedding with an unloved but rich person or the injustice that has arisen associated with bribery leads to another famous phrase: money rules the world. This is probably why a person with small capital often strives to improve his financial situation. These methods and methods are not always legal; they often contradict the principles of morality. N. Gogol talks about one of these actions in the poem “Dead Souls”.

Who is Chichikov and why does he come to town N

The main character of the story is a retired official Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. He is “not handsome, but not bad-looking either, neither too fat nor too thin; I can’t say that I’m old, but I can’t say that I’m too young.” He considers himself a person of pleasant appearance, he especially liked his face “which he loved sincerely and in which, it seems, he found the chin most attractive, for he very often boasted of it to one of his friends.”

This man travels through the villages of Russia, but his goal is by no means as noble as one might think at first glance. Pavel Ivanovich buys " dead Souls» that is, documents on the right of ownership of people who have died, but have not yet been included in the lists of the dead. The census of peasants was carried out every few years, so these same “dead souls” hovered and were considered alive in documents. They represented a lot of trouble and waste, since it was necessary to make payments for them before the next census (revision tales).

Chichikov's proposal to sell these people to the landowners sounds more than tempting. Many people find the item they are buying very strange, it sounds suspicious, but they want to get rid of it faster.” dead souls“takes its toll - one by one the landowners agree to the sale (the only exception was Nozdryov). But why does Chichikov need “dead souls”? He himself talks about it this way: “Yes, if I bought all these people who died out before they 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 two hundred thousand for the capital " In other words, Pavel Ivanovich plans to resell his “dead souls”, passing them off as living people. Of course, it is impossible to sell serfs without land, but he finds a way out here too - buying land in a remote place, “for pennies.” Naturally, such a plan was not dictated good conditions life and financial situation, but, whatever one may say, this is a dishonorable act.

Last name meaning

It is difficult to judge unambiguously about the etymology of Pavel Ivanovich’s surname. It is not as prosaic as the surnames of other characters in the poem, but the very fact that the surnames of other characters are their characteristics (they draw attention to moral or physical flaws) suggests that there must be a similar situation with Chichikov.

And so, it is likely that this surname came from the word “chichik”. In Western Ukrainian dialects, this is the name given to a small songbird. N. Gogol was associated with Ukraine, so we can assume that he had in mind precisely this meaning of the word - Chichikov, like a bird, sings beautiful songs to everyone. There are no other meanings recorded in dictionaries. The author himself does not explain anywhere why the choice fell on this particular word and what he wanted to say by awarding Pavel Ivanovich such a surname. Therefore, this information should be perceived at the level of a hypothesis, and it should be argued that this absolutely correct explanation is impossible due to the small amount of information on this matter.

Personality and character

Arriving in the city of N, Pavel Ivanovich meets the local landowners and the governor. He produces on them good impression. This beginning of a trusting relationship contributed to Chichikov’s further purchases - they spoke of him as a man of high morals and excellent upbringing - such a person cannot be a swindler and a deceiver. But, as it turned out, this was just a tactical move that allowed him to cleverly deceive the landowners.

The first thing that surprises you about Chichikov is his attitude to hygiene. For many of his new acquaintances, this became a sign of a man from high society. Pavel Ivanovich “waked up very early in the morning, washed himself, wiped himself from head to toe with a wet sponge, which was done only on Sundays.” He “rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time,” when he washed himself, “plucked out two hairs that had come out of his nose.” As a result, those around him decided that “the visitor showed such attentiveness to the toilet that has not even been seen everywhere.”

Chichikov is a suck-up. “In conversations with these rulers, he very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” At the same time, he tried not to say anything specific about himself, using general phrases; those present thought that he was doing this out of modesty.

In addition, the phrases “he is an insignificant worm of this world and does not deserve to be cared for much, that he has experienced a lot in his life, endured in the service for the truth, had many enemies who attempted even on his life, and that now, wanting to calm down, looking to finally choose a place to live” evoked a certain feeling of pity for Chichikov among those around him.

Soon, all his new acquaintances began to speak flatteringly about him and tried to please “such a pleasant, educated guest.”

Manilov, characterizing Chichikov, asserted that “he is ready to vouch, as for himself, that he would sacrifice all his estate in order to have a hundredth share of Pavel Ivanovich’s qualities.”

“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 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; the police chief’s wife - that he is the most kind and courteous person.”

As we see, Pavel Ivanovich managed to gain the trust of the landowners and the governor the best way.

He managed to keep a fine line and not go too far with flattery and praise towards the landowners - his lies and sycophancy were sweet, but not so much that the lies were noticeable. Pavel Ivanovich not only knows how to present himself in society, but also has the talent to convince people. Not all landowners agreed to say goodbye to their “ dead souls" Many, like Korobochka, had great doubts about the legality of such a sale. Pavel Ivanovich manages to achieve his goal and convince him that such a sale is nothing unusual.

It should be noted that Chichikov has developed intellectual abilities. This is manifested not only when thinking about a plan to get rich from “dead souls”, but also in the manner of conducting a conversation - he knows how to maintain a conversation at the proper level, without having sufficient knowledge in a particular issue, it is unrealistic to look smart in the eyes of others and no flattery or sycophancy unable to save the situation.

In addition, he is very friendly with arithmetic and knows how to quickly carry out mathematical operations in his mind: “Seventy-eight, seventy-eight, thirty kopecks per head, that will be...” here our hero thought for one second, no more, and suddenly said: it will be twenty-four rubles ninety-six kopecks.”

Pavel Ivanovich knows how to adapt to new conditions: “he felt that the words “virtue” and “rare properties of the soul” could be successfully replaced with the words “economy” and “order”,” although he cannot always quickly figure out what to say: “Already Plyushkin stood for several minutes without saying a word, and Chichikov still could not start a conversation, entertained both by the appearance of the owner himself and by everything that was in his room.”

Having acquired serfs, Pavel Ivanovich feels awkward and anxious, but these are not pangs of conscience - he wants to get the job done quickly and is afraid that something might go wrong “still the thought came to me: that souls are not entirely real and that in similar cases Such a burden always needs to be lifted off one’s shoulders as quickly as possible.”

However, his deception was revealed - Chichikov in an instant turns from an object of worship and a desired guest into an object of ridicule and rumors; he is not allowed into the governor’s house. “It’s just that you alone are not ordered to be allowed in, but all others are allowed,” the doorman tells him.

The others are also not happy to see him - they mumble something incomprehensible. This confuses Chichikov - he cannot understand what happened. Rumors about his scam reach Chichikov himself. As a result, he leaves home. IN last chapter, we learn that Pavel Ivanovich is of humble origin, his parents tried to provide him better life, therefore, sending him into an independent life, they gave him such advice that, as his parents thought, would allow him to occupy a good place in life: “Pavlusha, study... please your teachers and bosses most of all. Don’t hang out with your comrades, they won’t teach you any good; and if it comes to that, then hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you. Don’t treat or treat anyone, but behave better so that you will be treated, and most of all, take care and save a penny... You will do everything and lose everything in the world with a penny.”

Thus, Pavel Ivanovich, guided by the advice of his parents, lived in such a way as not to spend money anywhere and save money, but to earn in an honest way significant capital turned out to be unrealistic, even with strict savings and acquaintance with the rich. The plan to buy “dead souls” was supposed to provide Chichikov with fortune and money, but in practice this turned out not to be the case. The stigma of a swindler and a dishonest person firmly stuck to him. Whether the hero himself learned a lesson from their current situation is a rhetorical question; it is likely that the second volume should have revealed the secret, but, unfortunately, Nikolai Vasilyevich destroyed him, so the reader can only guess what happened next and whether Chichikov should be blamed for such an act or it is necessary to mitigate his guilt by referring to the principles to which society is subject.

Chichikov in the story by N.V. Gogol’s “Dead Souls”: analysis of the hero, image and characteristics

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// The image of Chichikov in Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”

He worked on his grandiose poem “” for about seventeen years. Of course, over such a long period, the meaning and parts of the poem have changed several times. But the essence of the work remained untouched. The great author decided to create a poem in which he would characterize the life around him, describe the picture of that modern Russia, which is filled with different, absolutely not similar people. In the text of the poem we meet many heroes and learn a lot of interesting things about their fates. But, nevertheless, the person of the main character, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, attracts attention.

He was a new class of entrepreneur, of which there were few in those days. This hero has a double characteristic of the author himself. On the one hand, he is a vile person, in whose head terrible thoughts are born. On the other hand, he is quite inventive and bright character, who was able to come up with a cunning plan to profit from dead peasants.

Chichikov buys the dead souls of peasants from other landowners, thereby receiving profit and income. In those days, audits of peasants were rarely carried out, therefore, according to the documents, all those people were actually alive. The main character does not break the law. He simply takes advantage of such a mess in the documentation and puts his plan into action.

Getting to know all the landowners, he finds an approach to each of them. Chichikov establishes connections with both men and women. He evokes sympathy and friendly relations. Thanks to the ability to adapt to the environment, he gains the trust of the right people, and then uses them for his own purposes.

With the landowner he is polite like a woman, but firm. He is gentle and kind. Pavel Ivanovich communicates with the landowner carefully. He is trying with all his might to bring down the price for dead souls set by the vigilant owner.

Chichikov's personality is distinguished by extraordinary ingenuity. The hero tries with all his might to bring his plan to life. He wants to gain his wealth by any means, going to complete shamelessness, and far from noble deeds. Although, for such perseverance and demonstrated willpower, he must be given credit. Pavel Ivanovich, through difficulties and obstacles, moved forward in order to carry out his plans and collect dead souls.

Such endurance and accumulative character traits have been formed in the main character since childhood. Pavel's family lived poorly, so the boy had to invent various ways receiving money. He independently made a bullfinch from wax, painted it and sold it. Pavlusha decided to train the mouse and then sell it. And the most interesting thing is that, as a child, he did not spend money, but carefully collected every penny, refusing everything. Pavel Ivanovich's father left him a will with parting words. He ordered his son to study, obey teachers, collect and save a penny. And how this should be done - nothing is said. So Chichikov decided that in life a penny is much more valuable than friendship and friends.

Of course, we cannot call the main character a completely immoral person. He felt both regret and sympathy. But for this he demanded quite a decent amount. Definitely, I can call Chichikov’s personality quite talented and inventive. It’s a pity that his skills were not useful, but only led to such a dirty scam. This idea of ​​buying “dead souls” did not make the hero rich and successful. After all, how can you profit from such a soulless idea?

The image of Chichikov in N. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”

N.V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" was the most important stage in the development of Russian critical realism and was the top artistic creativity writer. In his work, Gogol ridiculed the vices of feudal Russia from bottom to top: from the provincial wilderness to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Gogol, according to Herzen, “flaunted Russia’s nobles, serf-owners, whom we saw coming out of palaces and houses without masks...”

The central character of Gogol's poem “Dead Souls” is Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. The story about him runs through the entire poem, and all the other characters are characterized through his attitude towards them. It is about him that the author writes in Chapter XI: “Here he is the complete master, and wherever he pleases, we must drag ourselves there too.” Of course, the writer did not reduce his work to the story of one person; He saw his task as analyzing the various phenomena of life. However, Chichikov is the main character of the poem, holding the entire narrative together.

Chichikov, who moves in the circle of landowners, represents a person with other life principles. Before us Gogol creates typical image representative of the emerging bourgeoisie. By origin, he also belongs to the noble class, but the estate, where he could start farming, does not bring him income. Chichikov's father was not rich, but he left his son four worn-out sweatshirts, two old frock coats and an insignificant amount of money. Chichikov, unlike other landowners, made his own way in life. While still at school, he showed amazing resourcefulness in terms of making money. Practicality, prudence, and trickery were already inherent in Chichikov’s character. His imagination quickly worked on the invention of various types of commercial operations. In addition, he deftly knew how to gain the trust of school mentors, and therefore was “in excellent standing” at school and upon graduation received a book “with letters of gold for exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.” However, Chichikov and early years I learned to evaluate my relationships with people from the point of view of real benefits. So, for example, he refuses to help the school mentor, although earlier (as a student) he curried favor with him. Indifference to other people's beans is another trait in the character of this character.

All low spiritual qualities Chichikov’s ideas manifest themselves with particular force when he embarks on the path of independent life activity. The desire to make an “increment by fifty dollars”, which guided him since early childhood, has now turned into a passionate thirst for hoarding. Chichikov is greatly impressed by pictures of a rich, luxurious life. “When a rich man rushed past him on a beautiful flying droshky, on trotters in a rich harness, he stopped dead in his tracks and then, waking up, as if after long sleep, said: “But there was a clerk, he wore his hair in a circle!”

Having set his goal to become a rich man, he shows exceptional perseverance, enormous energy and ingenuity. Chichikov indulges in any scams and speculations if they promise profits.

Appearing in provincial town under the guise of a landowner for his own needs, Chichikov extremely quickly not only enters the “selected society”, but also wins everyone’s sympathy, since as a result of long life practice he has brilliantly developed the ability to adapt. He knows how to show himself as a man of good secular upbringing, possessing a large and diverse cult. But main strength His influence lay in the fact that he knew how to find his own approach to everyone. With the dexterity of a virtuoso, Chichikov could play on weak strings human soul. All the officials, and even the governor himself, were pleased with the arrival of a new interesting person.

Gogol shows that Chichikov “reincarnates” very easily, quickly moves from one manner of behavior to another, without, however, betraying himself or his goals in any way. So, for example, in a conversation with Manilov, he easily grasps his manner of behavior. Pael Ivanovich is also gallant and courteous, has a penchant for “high” matters, and is filled with sentimental sensitivity. But Chichikov does not show gallantry with Korobochka. The conversation with her is of a completely different nature. The experienced hero quickly unravels the essence of the landowner’s character and therefore acts very unceremoniously. He does not consider it necessary to be particularly shy - after all, delicacy here will not achieve a concession in the acquisition of dead souls.

When meeting Nozdryov, Chichikov diligently adapts to the free and unceremonious style of behavior of his new acquaintance. Nozdryov does not recognize any relationship other than “friendly” (as he considers it to be), so Chichikov behaves as if he were friends with this landowner. When Nozdryov begins to brag, Chichikov prefers to remain silent, but is vigilantly careful not to fall into the net set by his newfound “friend.”

Chichikov's directness and spontaneity completely disappear when meeting Sobakevich and are replaced by a search for the correct forms of behavior with this “clumsy bear.” Sobakevich is a businessman who knows how to respect his own benefit in everything. In a conversation with him main character shows himself to be a sophisticated businessman who knows all sorts of ways to influence his partner. “You can’t knock him down, he’s stubborn!” - Sobakevich thinks to himself.

Chichikov finds an approach to Plyushkin, taking on the appearance of a generous well-wisher who wants to help a lonely and defenseless old man. This was the only way to avoid arousing suspicion among the hoarder, who is most afraid of being robbed. Having completed all these metamorphoses, the hero again finds in the circle provincial society the appearance of a pleasant person, causing noisy delight. The ease of transformation reveals Chichikov's extraordinary energy and resourcefulness. We understand that behind Chichikov’s imaginary courtesy and gentleness hides a calculating and predatory nature. On his face is the mask of a pious and well-behaved person.

Chichikov does not admit anything and does not believe in anything except money. Appearing in society in the image decent person, he's not in the slightest degree not inclined towards virtue. His mask of good nature and benevolence serves only as a means that helps him get things done.

Obsessed with a passion for wealth, Chichikov does not look like a selfless gambler losing his sense of proportion. He is prudent and careful. He is able to wait, long and patiently prepare what promises him profits. He does not think about the immorality of his actions, he is only interested in profit. Gogol sharply emphasizes his hero’s lack of any moral principles. Turning to Chichikov’s biography, the writer declares: “No, it’s time to hide the scoundrel.” So, acquisition, predation and immorality in the image of Chichikov are fused together.

By comparing Chichikov with the landowners, Gogol showed those new features that are characteristic of heroes who were formed outside the atmosphere of the lordly estate. Tenacity for life, extraordinary resourcefulness, and adventurism come to the fore here. Striving to achieve his goals, Chichikov knows no peace. He is in constant motion. Manilov’s contemplation is alien to him, but at the same time he is far from Korobochka’s innocence. Cunning and enterprising, he sees right through people and knows how to get their hands on them. But at the same time, he is not characterized by revelry and the desire to waste his life, which are an integral feature of Nozdryov’s appearance. If all of Nozdryov’s numerous undertakings lead to nothing, then everything that Chichikov undertakes bears the stamp of practical acumen and efficiency. In turn, this efficiency is not similar to the rude and straightforward prudence of Sobakevich. Courtesy and the ability to win over people give Chichikov great advantages over Sobakevich.

Thus, Chichikov is both better and worse than all the landowners depicted by Gogol in the poem. He, a representative of the new predatory entrepreneurship, does not oppose Manilov or Sobakevich. He merges with them, finds unity with the noble environment, but at the same time pursues his own interests. Chichikov absorbs all the most viable features of the outgoing relationship, discarding those that cannot serve the purpose of enrichment. As for morality and ethics, Chichikov does not burden himself with these concepts, just like those landowners with whom he meets.

Gogol shows the reasons for the death of the human soul in the image of Chichikov. A joyless childhood, a service in which bribery flourishes, a society of immoral people - all this molded him into a calculating scoundrel. If you look closely, Chichikov is bolder than Nozdryov and callouser than Sobakevich. Yes, he differs from the landowners in his enterprise, energy and intelligence. He gives people very accurate characteristics. However, Chichikov is a “dead soul” because he values ​​nothing in life except money. In the image of Chichikov, Gogol shows the emergence of a new man in Russian society, a representative of the emerging bourgeoisie. All high feelings, including love, are assessed by him only from the point of view of material gain.

Speaking surname Chichikova

The surname "Chichikov" is telling. According to one version, it is similar to the chirping of a sparrow and reflects such qualities of the hero as dexterity and the ability to adapt. And his name - Paul - correlates with this in a known way in Christianity, as the image of the Apostle Paul, who first persecuted Christ and then himself converted to Christianity.

This suggests that Gogol probably also planned changes in Chichikov’s soul in better side, his moral revival, cleansing from those unclean, base deeds that he was engaged in throughout the first volume.

Chichikov's appearance

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is the main character of N.V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls", a collegiate adviser. Chichikov’s appearance can already tell a lot about him, a dexterous and cunning man who is liked by literally everyone: he is a plump, middle-aged man, not a real handsome man, but pleasant to look at, with a friendly voice, and smells good, as he wears cologne.

Character, image, origin of Chichikov

Chichikov comes from a family of poor nobles, but despite this, he is well educated. Chichikov's character is as follows: he is a reasonable, polite person, but very cunning, deceitful, hypocritical, who manages numbers and money well, and saves a lot. He is cold-blooded and purposeful, always going towards his goal, using the dirtiest methods to achieve this. For him, the end always justifies the means. But Chichikov knows how to hide all his shortcomings in order to achieve his goal; he easily charms those around him and misleads them with his external courtesy and pleasantness. Chichikov is smart and calculating, well versed in human psychology and can find an approach to almost anyone. The main goal of his life is to get as much as possible more money, and for this he is ready to do anything.

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Updated: 2018-03-03

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In 1846, Belinsky, known for his critical insight, noted that Chichikov “as an acquirer no less, if not more than Pechorin, is a hero of our time.” Chichikov can acquire “dead souls”, railway shares, he can collect donations for charities. It doesn't matter what type of activity he is engaged in.

One thing is indisputable: Chichikov is an immortal type. You can meet him everywhere, he belongs to all countries and all times: he only accepts various shapes, according to the conditions of place and time. The action in the poem “Dead Souls” begins with the reader meeting the main character. Who is he? Neither this nor that, the golden mean: “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.” How does the venerable collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov begin his stay in the new city? From visits: to the governor, vice-governor, prosecutor, police chief, tax farmer, head of state-owned factories, etc. Behaving like a completely well-intentioned person, Chichikov “in conversations with these rulers ... very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone”: he praised the governor for the “velvet roads” of his province, the police chief “said something very flattering about the city guards,” twice mistakenly called the vice-governor and chairman of the chamber “your excellency.”

He paid the governor a compliment, “very decent for a middle-aged man with a rank neither too high nor too low,” and called himself “an insignificant worm of this world,” complaining that he had experienced a lot in his life, “suffered in the service for the truth, had many enemies who even attempted his life.”

A characteristic feature of Chichikov is the ability to carry on a conversation: “Whether there was a conversation about a horse factory, he talked about a horse factory; they were talking about good dogs, and here he made very sensible remarks... But it’s remarkable that he knew how to dress it all up with some kind of sedateness, he knew how to behave well. He spoke neither loudly nor quietly, but absolutely as he should.” As we see, Chichikov learned to wear the mask of vulgarity and imaginary decency masterfully, but the true content of his thoughts and actions is hidden under this mask of a completely decent, decent gentleman. In the first chapter, the author only indirectly, allegorically expresses his attitude towards the hero and his actions. And the hero himself, in his discussions about the world of fat and thin, gives some hint of his true vision of the world around him: “Fat people know how to manage their affairs in this world better than thin people. The thin ones serve more on special assignments or are just registered and wander here and there.”

Chichikov is attributed by the author to the world of fat people who sit securely and firmly in their places. Thus, confirming the appearance of Chichikov, who he seems to be, the author begins preparations to expose him, to “reveal” the truth about him. The first success (the deal with Manilov) strengthens Chichikov’s confidence in the ease and safety of the scam he is carrying out. Inspired by this success, the hero is in a hurry to conclude new deals. On the way to Sobakevich, Chichikov meets Korobochka, who showed Chichikov that his enterprise requires not only persistence, but also subtlety, and most importantly, caution. The lesson, however, did not serve him well. Chichikov hurries to Sobakevich, but meets Nozdryov and goes to him. Among Nozdryov’s qualities, perhaps the main one is “the passion to spoil one’s neighbor, sometimes for no reason at all.” And Chichikov unwittingly falls for this bait: in the end, he reveals the true purpose of acquiring “dead souls”. This reveals the weakness and frivolity of the hero. Of course, Chichikov subsequently scolded himself for acting carelessly in talking to Nozdryov about such a delicate matter. As we see, perseverance and determination in cases where they go too far turn into a disadvantage. Finally, Chichikov arrives at Sobakevich, who, being resourceful and persistent in the pursuit of his own benefit, most likely guesses why Chichikov needs “dead souls”. He bargains shamelessly, and even praises dead peasants: “And Eremey Sorokoplekhin, this guy alone will stand for everyone, he traded in Moscow, brought one rent for five hundred rubles. After all, this is what people are like! This is not something that some Plyushkin will sell you.” Chichikov’s enterprise ends with a deal with Plyushkin, for whom even the money goes out of circulation, having been placed “in one of the boxes, where, most likely, they are destined to be buried until... he himself is buried.” Chichikov is at his best: the papers are all signed and in the eyes of ordinary people he turns into a “millionaire.” As you know, a “millionaire” is Magic word, which opens all roads and “acts on scoundrel people, and on people of neither this nor that, and on good people - in a word, it affects everyone.”

However, soon the triumph of Chichikov the “millionaire” ends with Nozdryov’s revelation: “Ah! Kherson landowner, Kherson landowner!.. What? did you sell a lot of dead people? You don’t know, Your Excellency... he sells dead souls!” There is commotion and confusion in the city, as well as in the minds of the reader. After all true biography The author saved the hero for the finale of the poem. Chichikov seemed decent and virtuous, but under this guise there was a different essence. The son of a semi-poor nobleman, his face did not even resemble either his father or his mother. “Life at the beginning,” writes Gogol, “looked at him somehow sourly and unpleasantly, through some cloudy window covered with snow: neither a friend nor a comrade in childhood!” Suddenly, one fine day, the father decided to send the boy to the city school. There were no tears at parting, but an important and intelligent fatherly instruction was given: “Look, Pavlusha, study, don’t be stupid and don’t hang around... please your teachers and bosses... And most of all, take care and save a penny: this thing is more reliable than anything in the world.”

The lonely and unsociable Pavlusha accepted this instruction with all his heart and was guided only by it all his life. In the school classes, he quickly grasped the spirit of his superiors and realized what his behavior should be. During lessons, Chichikov sat as quietly as water, lower than the grass, and as a result, having no special abilities or talents, upon graduation he received “a certificate and a book with golden letters for exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.” After graduating from college, Pavlusha plunged into the reality of life: his father died, leaving him as an inheritance only “four irretrievably worn sweatshirts, two old frock coats” and an insignificant amount of money. It is noteworthy that at the same time another event occurs that reveals the true qualities of the future swindler. The teacher, who so loved the meek student Chichikov, was fired from the school and disappeared without a piece of bread in a forgotten kennel. Former rebellious and arrogant students collected money for him, and only Pavlusha limited himself to a nickel, citing his extreme poverty.

No, Chichikov was not stingy, but “he imagined a life ahead of him in all comforts, with all sorts of prosperity: carriages, a well-appointed house, delicious dinners.” For this, Chichikov was ready to go hungry and do “hot” work. He soon realized that honest work would not bring him what he wanted. In search of new opportunities to improve his position, he begins to court the daughter of his boss, but having received a long-awaited promotion, he completely forgets about his virtue. Bribes and scams - this is the path Pavlusha took. Gradually, he achieved some visible prosperity, but in place of the previous boss, a strict military man was appointed, in whose trust Chichikov could not ingratiate himself.

He moves to another city, where by luck he becomes a customs official and enters into “commercial” relations with smugglers. After some time, this criminal conspiracy was exposed, and the perpetrators, including Chichikov, were brought to justice - this is exactly how the hero “suffered in the service.” Taking care of his descendants (“Such a sensitive subject!”), Chichikov decides on a new scam, which we witness in “Dead Souls.”

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