Peasant Rus' in N. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”

“Rus, Rus'! I see you from my wonderful
I see you beautifully far away"
“Dead Souls” is an encyclopedic work in the breadth of its coverage of vital material. This is an artistic exploration of root issues contemporary writer public life. Compositionally, the main place in the poem is occupied by the image of the landowner and bureaucratic world. But its ideological core is the thought of the tragic fate of the people. This topic is vast, just as the topic of knowing all of Russia is vast.
Starting to work on the second volume, Gogol (who was then living abroad) turned to his friends with tireless requests to send him materials and books on history, geography, folklore, ethnography, statistics of Russia, Russian chronicles, and especially “memories of those characters and persons with whom someone happened to meet in their lifetime, images of those cases where there is a smell of Russia.”
But Main way with the comprehension of Russia - knowledge of the nature of Russian people. What, according to Gogol, is the path of this knowledge? This path is impossible without knowing yourself. As Gogol wrote to Count Alexander Petrovich Tolstoy, “only first find the key to your own soul, and when you find it, then with the same key you will unlock the souls of everyone.”
This is the path Gogol took in the course of implementing his plan: knowledge of Russia through Russian national character, human soul in general and your own in particular. Russia itself is thought of by Gogol as also in development, as is the national character. The motif of movement, road, path permeates the entire poem. The action develops as Chichikov travels. “Pushkin found that the plot of Dead Souls was good for me because it gave me complete freedom to travel all over Russia with the hero and bring out many different characters.”
The road in the poem appears primarily in its direct, real meaning - these are the country roads along which Chichikov’s chaise travels - sometimes potholes, sometimes dust, sometimes impassable mud. In the famous lyrical digression Chapter 11, this road with a rushing chaise quietly turns into a fantastic path along which Rus' flies among other peoples and states. the inscrutable paths of Russian history (“Rus', where are you going, give me an answer? It doesn’t give an answer”) intersect with the paths of world development. It seems that these are the very roads along which Chichikov wanders. It is symbolic that Chichikov is led out of the outback Korobochka onto the road by an illiterate girl, Pelageya, who does not know where the right is and where the left is. So the end of the path and its goal are unknown to Russia itself, moving unknown where on some inspiration (“rushing, all inspired by God!”)
So, not only Russia is in motion and development, but also the author himself. His fate is inextricably linked with the fate of the poem and the fate of the country. “Dead Souls” was supposed to solve the mystery of the historical destiny of Russia and the mystery of the life of its author. Hence Gogol’s pathetic appeal to Russia: “Rus! What do you want from me? What incomprehensible connection lies between us? Why are you looking like that, and why has everything in you turned its eyes full of expectation to me?”
Rus', the people, their fate... “Living souls” - this must be understood broadly. We are talking about “low class people” depicted in the poem not close-up in the general panorama of events. But the significance of those few episodes in which people's life is directly depicted is common system the works are extremely large.
The type representing Russia is very diverse. From the young girl Pelageya to the nameless, dead or runaway workers of Sobakevich and Plyushkin, who do not act, but are only mentioned in passing, passes before us extensive gallery characters, a multi-colored image of folk Russia.
The wide scope of the soul, natural intelligence, skill, heroic prowess, sensitivity to the word, striking, accurate - in this and in many other ways, the true soul of the people is manifested in Gogol. The strength and sharpness of the people's mind was reflected, according to Gogol, in the glibness and accuracy of the Russian word (chapter five); the depth and integrity of folk feeling is in the sincerity of the Russian song (chapter eleven); breadth and generosity of soul in brightness, unbridled fun national holidays(chapter seven).
Drawing a noisy revelry on the grain pier, Gogol rises to poetic praise folk life: “The gang of barge haulers are having fun, saying goodbye to their mistresses and wives, tall, slender, in monists and ribbons, round dances, songs, the whole square is in full swing.”
The living strength of the people is also emphasized in the reluctance of the peasants to endure oppression. The murder of assessor Drobyakin, the mass flight from the landowners, the ironic mockery of the “orders” - all these manifestations of popular protest are briefly but persistently mentioned in the poem.
Glorifying the people and national character, the writer does not stoop to vanity or blindness. And in this accuracy and honesty of his view lies an effective attitude towards Russian life, energetic, and not contemplative, patriotism. Gogol sees how the high and good qualities in the kingdom are distorted dead souls how peasants, driven to despair, perish. The fate of one man makes the author exclaim: “Eh, Russian people! He doesn’t like to die his own death!” The destruction of good inclinations in a person emphasizes how life contemporary to Gogol is still not abolished serfdom destroys the people. Against the backdrop of the majestic, endless expanses of Russia, the lyrical landscapes that permeate the poem, real pictures lives seem particularly bitter. “Isn’t it here, in you, that a boundless thought will be born, when you yourself are endless? Shouldn’t a hero be here when there is a place where he can turn around and walk?” - Gogol exclaims, thinking about the possibilities of the Motherland.
Reflecting on the image of Russia in the poem “Dead Souls”, I would make the following conclusion: discarding all the “lyrical moments”, this work is an excellent guide to the study of Russia early XIX century from a civil, political, religious, philosophical and economic point of view. No need for thick volumes historical encyclopedias. You just need to read Dead Souls.

Tasks and tests on the topic "The Image of Rus' in N.V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls""

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One of the main themes of the poem “Dead Souls” is the theme of Russia, the people. It is important that it is inextricably linked with the title of the work. The more dead souls Chichikov buys, the more significant his purchase turns out to be. These souls come to life, become reality, and begin to live their own lives contrary to the will of the owner. At the same time, it is important to understand what Gogol means by the concept of the soul. For him, this is, first of all, moral content. This is why the souls of Gogol’s nobles are dead.

Guardian of the Best national traditions in Gogol's poem - the people. But the author does not idealize him. The writer shows the strengths and weak sides Russian people. Moreover, the peasants are presented in Gogol most often in an ironic aspect. These are, of course, Chichikov’s servants - Selifan and Petrushka. Gogol mockingly describes their passions. Parsley loves to read. But he likes the process of reading more than its content. He just looks at the letters.
Selifan loves to think and talk, but his only listeners are horses. He is always drunk and does the most unexpected things. Korobochka's girl, Palashka, is so ignorant that she cannot distinguish between right and left. The clueless Uncle Menai and Uncle Mityai just can’t come to an agreement and separate the confused horses. The peasants of Manilov love to drink. They are very lazy, ready to deceive their landowner. Gogol writes with bitterness about these ugly aspects of the life of ordinary people.

And yet, the author pins his hopes for the future of Russia precisely on the people. Therefore, in the finale of “Dead Souls” the image of a real guy appears who collected a bird or three. Only a Russian person, who is characterized by efficiency, extraordinary diligence, and the ability to create, can do this. Russian people are distinguished by a special mindset, an impulse for freedom. It is no coincidence that Sobakevich speaks of his peasants as “core nuts,” demands a higher price for them, and boasts about them to Chichikov for a long time: “Another swindler will deceive you, sell you rubbish, not souls, but my peasants are like core nuts, that’s all.” like a selection."

How did these peasants leave a memory of themselves? Carriage maker Mikheev was a skilled craftsman. His spring chaises are real works of art. The fame of the carriage maker spread throughout many provinces. The saying “drunk as a shoemaker” does not apply to shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov. His boots are a real miracle. Brick maker Milushkin is an extraordinary master. He could put the stove in any place he wanted. Stepan Probka was distinguished by his heroic strength. He could serve in the guard. Sorokopekhin brought very large quitrents to his master. Therefore, it is not at all by chance that Chichikov, reading Sobakevich’s register, thinks about the fate of many peasants.

Registers of landowners show their attitude towards their peasants. The notes of the stingy Plyushkin are very brief. He wrote only the initial letters of first and last names. The box gave each of its peasants a nickname. Sobakevich even introduced short biography his peasants: “Sobakevich’s register amazed with its extraordinary completeness and thoroughness; not one of the man’s commendable qualities was missed.” Chichikov was especially interested in the fate of Abakum Fyrov. This peasant ran away from his landowner to the Volga in search of happiness. Most likely, a barge hauler's strap awaits him. The possible fate of this fugitive leads Chichikov to think about the fate of the people. With the help of the image of Fyrov, Gogol shows that it is characteristic of Russian people deep feeling freedom.

The story about Captain Kopeikin takes on a special meaning in the poem. The name of this hero has become a household name in Russian literature. The story of his life reflected the fates of many people of that time. Gogol shows the tragic fate " little man" The postmaster tells the story about Captain Kopeikin. Captain Kopeikin honestly paid his debt to his homeland, participated in Patriotic War 1812. There his arm and leg were taken away, and he remained disabled. But the family did not have the funds to support him. The officials also forgot about the defender of the Motherland, and the captain was left without a livelihood. He was forced to turn to an influential general for help, and for this he came to St. Petersburg. The captain knocked on the threshold of the general’s reception room many times, asking for “royal mercy.” But the general constantly postponed his decision. Kopeikin's patience came to an end and he demanded a final resolution from the general. As a result, Captain Kopeikin was kicked out of the reception room.

Soon rumors spread throughout St. Petersburg that a gang of robbers had appeared in the Ryazan forests. Their chieftain turned out to be Captain Kopeikin. The censorship tried to force Gogol to remove this inserted story from the poem. But the author did not do this. The story of Captain Kopeikin plays an important role in revealing the theme of the people. In a hidden form, there is a protest against the heartlessness of officials, the indifference of the authorities, the lack of rights common man. Gogol warns that people's patience is not unlimited. Sooner or later he will reach his limit.

The author develops this theme by depicting Plyushkin’s peasants. Unable to withstand the bullying, they flee in droves from their landowner. These are Eremey Koryakin, Popov, Nikita Volokita and many others. Only their fates are tragic: some suffer poverty, others die in ditches and taverns. Most peasants do not know the value of their abilities. But Gogol himself rejects the path of Captain Kopeikin and many other peasants - the path of robbery and violence. He advocates reforms.

The dead peasants left a memory of themselves through their deeds. According to Gogol, they are the ones who have souls. They are characterized by a moral principle. The future of Russia and its prosperity depend only on the people. It is the efforts of the people that determine the fate of the country.

The impetus for writing the poem “” was the author’s inexplicable desire to reveal a description of Rus', to travel with his hero through the cities and provinces of Russia, to expose the triumphant officials and landowners who ruled the lives of serfs. The title of Gogol's poem has a double meaning.

Firstly, it talks about those peasant souls, which Chichikov bought to carry out his scam. In those days, the peasants were treated very cruelly. Landowners could not only sell their dead souls, but during their lifetime they could lose them at cards or casinos, exchange them or give them as gifts, like things or objects.

Secondly, to dead souls we can include all those landowners and officials who are presented to us on the pages of the poem. Their inner world empty, their soul is callous, and their existence is meaningless. Therefore, we can safely say that such people, whose body is still alive, have long since died.

In his poem, he completely abandons the love plot. He is trying to show all the horror and dirt of life in Russia at that time. And feelings of love are not at all appropriate here. Money obsession and dependence reign in society, which completely absorbs all other qualities of a person.

If you pay attention to the persona of the main character, you can say that Pavel Ivanovich is quite a smart and intelligent person. But, everything is his positive traits consumed by a great desire to accumulate more money. And there’s nothing to say about the images of landowners at all. Some are in the clouds and in their dreams, others are growing dumb before our eyes from their greed, others are gossiping and making scandals. And they all share one goal - to accumulate wealth and hide it under the pillow.

The reader's consistent acquaintance with the landowners of the poem is not accidental. N.V. Gogol builds a chain along which we move further and further into the wilds of landowner life. Dreamy Manilov, then stupid Korobochka, after her impudent Nozdryov. Next is the image of Sobakevich, who looks like a bear, and at the end - the lost Plyushkin, who has completely ceased to be like a person. Complementing the story are the figures of landowners and officials who did whatever they wanted with impunity - messing around, taking bribes, breaking laws.

In parallel with managerial Russia, N.V. Gogol characterizes and people's Rus'. Common peasants, in the images of Uncle Mitya and Uncle Minay, Selifan and Petrusha, are completely indifferent to their lives and destinies. Some like to drink, others loyally serve their owners. And this was the fate of the majority of the population of Russia at that time. There were a few among them who were masters of their craft. This is the carriage maker Mikheev, the shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov. But there were very few such people. Therefore, N.V. Gogol greatly yearns for the true Russian soul and believes that it will still be reborn among the people and will prevail over greed and the power of money.

"Gogol was the first to look boldly at Russian reality"

V.G. Belinsky

The theme of exposing officialdom runs through all of Gogol’s work: it stands out both in the collection “Mirgorod” and in the comedy “The Inspector General”. In the poem "Dead Souls" it is intertwined with the theme of serfdom. The poem depicts feudal Rus', a country in which the entire land with its riches, its people belonged to the ruling noble class - serfs who provide their masters with an idle and carefree life. Tragic fate enslaved people are especially strongly felt in the images of serfs. With them Gogol speaks of the dullness and savagery that slavery brings to man. In this light, we must consider the images of Uncle Mitya, the girl Pelageya, who could not distinguish between right and left, Plyushkin’s Proshka and Mavra, downtrodden to the extreme. Social suppression and humiliation were imprinted on Selifan and Petrushka. The latter even had a noble impulse to read books, but he was more attracted not by what he read about, but by the process of reading itself, that some word always comes out of the letters, which sometimes the devil knows what it means.”

Gogol, as if in a mirror, reflected the entire disgusting essence of this noble-bureaucratic system with wild police orders, the morality of the serf-owners and the arbitrariness of the landowners. In this regard, the discussions put into Chichikov’s mouth about serfs and runaway peasants in the seventh chapter of the poem are of deep significance.

Korobochka has a nice village, her yard is full of all kinds of birds, there are “spacious vegetable gardens with cabbage, onions, potatoes,” there are apple trees and other fruit trees.

They live prosperously, in abundance, almost eighty souls,

They eat quite, heartily and sweetly: on the farm there are a lot of apples, pears,

Pigs, cows, geese, turkeys, honey, sponge and hemp,

Horses, laying hens, wheat and rye flour...

Following Korobochka in Gogol's gallery of serf owners is another representative of the landowners - Nozdryov. This is a restless hero, the hero of fairs, drinking parties and the card table. His farm is extremely neglected. Only the kennel is in excellent condition. Among dogs he is like a “dear father”, among a large family. He immediately drinks away the income received from the peasants. This speaks of his moral decline and indifference to people.

Nozdrev's estate helps to better understand both his character and the pitiful situation of his serfs, from whom he beats out everything he can. Therefore, it is not difficult to draw a conclusion about the powerless and miserable position of Nozdryov’s serfs. Unlike Korobochka, Nozdryov is not prone to petty hoarding. His ideal is people who always know how to have fun through life, unencumbered by any worries. In the chapter about Nozdryov there are few details reflecting the life of his serfs, but the description of the landowner itself provides comprehensive information about this, since for Nozdryov serfs and property are equivalent concepts.

Speaking about Plyushkin, Gogol exposes the horrors of serfdom. Gogol reports that Plyushkin is a swindler, he starved all the people to death, and that convicts live better in prison than his serfs. He considered the chapter about him one of the most difficult. After all, Plyushkin not only completes the gallery of landowner “dead souls” - this man bears within himself the most obvious signs of an incurable fatal disease. The fate of Plyushkin's serfs speaks especially impressively about the tragic fate of the Russian people, who are ruled by greedy, greedy, empty, wasteful and insane people. Therefore, Gogol’s poem inevitably makes us think about what a terrible evil serfdom was in Russia for centuries, how it crippled and broke the destinies of people, hampered the economic and cultural development countries.

The hoarding characteristic of Korobochka turned into genuine kulaks among the practical landowner Sobakevich. An unbridled passion for enrichment pushes him to cunning, forces him to find more and more new means of profit. This is what forces him to actively apply innovations: he introduces cash rent on his estate. He looks at serfs only as labor and, even though he had built huts for the peasants that were amazingly cut down, he would rip off three of their skins. He transferred some peasants to the monetary-tire system, which was beneficial to the landowner. Sobakevich takes care of his serfs, of course, not out of philanthropy, but out of consideration: if you offend a peasant, “it will be worse for you.” Sobakevich (in this he differs from Plyushkin and most other landowners) has a certain economic streak (he does not ruin his own serfs, achieves a certain order in the economy, sells dead souls profitably to Chichikov, knows business and human qualities their peasants).

Sobakevich is an ardent serf owner who will never miss his profit, even if we're talking about about dead peasants. The shameful bargaining over “dead souls” reveals a defining feature of his character - an uncontrollable desire for profit, greed, acquisitiveness. When depicting the image of Sobakevich, the writer widely uses the technique of hyperbolization. Suffice it to recall his monstrous appetite or the portraits of generals with thick legs and “unheard-of mustaches” that decorated his office.

Unlike other landowners, he immediately understood the essence of Chichikov. Sobakevich is a cunning rogue, an arrogant businessman who is difficult to deceive. He evaluates everything around him only from the point of view of his own benefit. His conversation with Chichikov reveals the psychology of a kulak who knows how to force peasants to work for themselves and extract maximum benefit from it.

Gogol endowed each landowner with original, specific features. Whatever the hero, he is a unique personality. But at the same time, his heroes retain their ancestral, social signs: low cultural level, lack of intellectual demands, desire for enrichment, cruelty in treatment of serfs, moral uncleanliness, lack of a basic concept of patriotism. These moral monsters, as Gogol shows, are generated by feudal reality and reveal the essence of feudal relations based on the oppression and exploitation of the peasantry. Gogol's work stunned, first of all, the ruling circles and landowners. The ideological defenders of serfdom argued that the nobility was the best part of the Russian population, passionate patriots, the support of the state. Gogol dispelled this myth with images of landowners. Herzen said that the landowners “pass before us without masks, without embellishment, flatterers and gluttons, obsequious slaves of power and ruthless tyrants of their enemies, drinking the life and blood of the people... “Dead Souls” shocked all of Russia.”

With enormous force, Gogol indicted the serfdom system, the entire way of life, in which Manilovism, Nozdrevism, Plyushkinsky squalor are typical and everyday phenomena of life. The poem shocked all of Russia, as it awakened the self-awareness of the Russian people.

Gogol portrayed the image of the Motherland realistically, but with anger. Serfdom hindered the development of Russia. Deserted villages, dull life, serfdom did not increase the dignity of Russia, did not exalt it, but pulled it into the past. Gogol saw a different Russia in his dreams. The image of the three-bird is a symbol of the power of his homeland. It plays a leading role in world development.

In the poem “Dead Souls” Gogol managed to depict Rus' in all its greatness, but at the same time with all its vices. In creating the work, the writer sought to understand the character of the Russian people, with whom he pinned hopes for a better future for Russia. There is a lot in the poem characters- various types of Russian landowners living idly in their noble estates, provincial officials, bribe takers and thieves who concentrated in their hands state power. Following Chichikov on his journey from one landowner's estate to another, the reader is revealed bleak pictures life of the serf peasantry.

The landowners treat the peasants as their slaves and dispose of them as things. Plyushkin's yard boy, thirteen-year-old Proshka, always hungry, who only hears from the master: “stupid as a log,” “fool,” “thief,” “mug,” “here I am with a birch broom for your taste.” “Perhaps I’ll give you a girl,” Korobochka says to Chichikov, “she knows the way, just watch!” Don’t bring it, the merchants have already brought one from me.” The owners of serf souls saw in the peasants only working cattle, suppressed their living soul, and deprived them of the opportunity for development. Over the course of many centuries of serfdom, such traits as drunkenness, insignificance and darkness formed in the Russian people. This is evidenced by the images of the stupid Uncle Mityai and Uncle Minyai, who cannot separate the horses that are entangled in the lines, the image of the yard girl Pelageya, who does not know where the right is and where the left is, the conversation of two men discussing whether the wheel will reach the Moscow or to Kazan. This is also evidenced by the image of the coachman Selifan, who drunkenly makes lengthy speeches addressed to the horses. But the author does not blame the peasants, but gently ironizes and laughs good-naturedly at them.

Gogol does not idealize the peasants, but makes the reader think about the strength of the people and their darkness. Such characters evoke both laughter and sadness at the same time. These are Chichikov’s servants, the girl Korobochka, the men encountered along the way, as well as the “dead souls” bought by Chichikov that come to life in his imagination. The author’s laughter evokes the “noble impulse for enlightenment” of Chichikov’s servant Petrushka, who is attracted not by the content of the books, but by the reading process itself. According to Gogol, he didn’t care what to read: the adventures of a hero in love, an ABC book, a prayer book, or chemistry.

When Chichikov reflects on the list of peasants he bought, a picture of the life and backbreaking labor of the people, their patience and courage is revealed to us. Copying the acquired “dead souls,” Chichikov imagines their earthly life: “My fathers, how many of you are crammed here! What have you, my dear ones, done in your lifetime?” These peasants who died or were oppressed by serfdom are hardworking and talented. The glory of the wonderful carriage maker Mikheev is alive in people's memory even after his death. Even Sobakevich says with involuntary respect that that glorious master “should only work for the sovereign.” Brickmaker Milushkin “could install a stove in any house,” Maxim Telyatnikov sewed beautiful boots. Ingenuity and resourcefulness are emphasized in the image of Eremey Sorokoplekhin, who “traded in Moscow, bringing in one rent for five hundred rubles.”

The author speaks with love and admiration about the hardworking Russian people, about talented craftsmen, about the “efficient Yaroslavl peasant” who brought together the Russian troika, about the “lively people”, “the lively Russian mind”, and with pain in his heart he talks about their destinies. Shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov, who wanted to get his own house and little shop, becomes an alcoholic. The death of Grigory You Can't Get There, who out of melancholy turned into a tavern, and then straight into an ice hole, is absurd and senseless. Unforgettable is the image of Abakum Fyrov, who fell in love with a free life, attached to barge haulers. The fate of Plyushkin's fugitive serfs, who are doomed to spend the rest of their lives on the run, is bitter and humiliating. “Oh, Russian people! He doesn’t like to die his own death!” - Chichikov argues. But the “dead souls” he bought appear before the reader more alive than the landowners and officials who live in conditions that deaden the human soul, in a world of vulgarity and injustice. Against the backdrop of the dead-heartedness of landowners and officials, the lively and lively Russian mind, the people's prowess, and the broad scope of the soul stand out especially clearly. It is these qualities, according to Gogol, that are the basis of the national Russian character.

Gogol sees the mighty power of the people, suppressed, but not killed by serfdom. It is manifested in his ability not to lose heart under any circumstances, in festivities with songs and round dances, in which the national prowess and the scope of the Russian soul are manifested in full. It is also manifested in the talent of Mikheev, Stepan Probka, Milushkin, in the hard work and energy of the Russian person. “Russian people are capable of anything and get used to any climate. Send him to Kamchatka, just give him warm mittens, he claps his hands, an ax in his hands, and goes to cut himself a new hut,” say officials, discussing the resettlement of Chichikov’s peasants to the Kherson province.

By depicting pictures of people's life, Gogol makes readers feel that the suppressed and humiliated Russian people are suppressed, but not broken. The protest of the peasantry against the oppressors is expressed both in the revolt of the peasants of the village of Vshivaya-arrogance and the village of Borovka, who wiped out the zemstvo police in the person of assessor Drobyazhkin, and in an apt Russian word. When Chichikov asked the man he met about Plyushkin, he rewarded this master with the surprisingly accurate word “patched.” "It is expressed strongly Russian people! - exclaims Gogol, saying that there is no word in other languages, “which would be so sweeping, lively, so bursting out from under the very heart, so seething and vibrant, like a well-spoken Russian word.”

Seeing the difficult life of the peasants, full of poverty and deprivation, Gogol could not help but notice the growing indignation of the people and understood that his patience was not limitless. The writer fervently believed that the life of the people should change, he believed that hardworking and talented people deserve better life. He hoped that the future of Russia did not belong to the landowners and “knights of a penny,” but to the great Russian people, who harbored unprecedented opportunities, and that is why he ridiculed the contemporary Russia of “dead souls.” It is no coincidence that the poem ends symbolically birds-three. It contains the result of many years of Gogol’s thoughts about the fate of Russia, the present and future of its people. After all, it is the people who oppose the world of officials, landowners, businessmen, as alive soul- dead.

All topics in the book “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol. Summary. Features of the poem. Essays":

Summary poem "Dead Souls": Volume one. Chapter first

Features of the poem “Dead Souls”