Bureaucratic world in dead souls. Officials in Gogol's poem Dead Souls

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In the artistic space of one of Gogol's most famous works, landowners and persons in power are interconnected. Lies, bribery and the desire for profit characterize each of the images of officials in Dead Souls. It is amazing with what ease and ease the author draws portraits that are disgusting in fact, and so masterfully that you never doubt the authenticity of each character for a minute. On the example of officials in the poem "Dead Souls" the most pressing problems of the Russian Empire in the middle of the 19th century were shown. In addition to serfdom, which hindered natural progress, the real problem was the extensive bureaucracy, for the maintenance of which huge sums were allocated. The people in whose hands the power was concentrated worked only for the sake of accumulating their own capital and improving their well-being, robbing both the treasury and ordinary people. Many writers of that time addressed the topic of exposing officials: Gogol, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Dostoevsky.

Officials in "Dead Souls"

In "Dead Souls" there are no separately prescribed images of civil servants, but nevertheless, life and characters are shown very accurately. Images of officials of the city of H appear from the first pages of the work. Chichikov, who decided to pay a visit to each of the mighty of this world, gradually introduces the reader to the governor, vice-governor, prosecutor, chairman of the chamber, police chief, postmaster and many others. Chichikov flattered everyone, as a result of which he managed to win over every important person, and all this is shown as a matter of course. In the bureaucratic world reigned pomp, bordering on vulgarity, inappropriate pathos and farce. So, during the usual dinner, the governor's house was lit up as if for a ball, the decoration blinded the eyes, and the ladies were dressed in their best dresses.

Officials in the county town were of two types: the first were thin and followed the ladies everywhere, trying to charm them with bad French and greasy compliments. Officials of the second type, according to the author, resembled Chichikov himself: neither fat nor thin, with round, pockmarked faces and slicked hair, they squinted around, trying to find an interesting or profitable business for themselves. At the same time, everyone tried to harm each other, to do some kind of meanness, usually this happened because of the ladies, but no one was going to shoot at such trifles. But at the dinners they pretended nothing was happening, discussed Moskovskiye Vesti, dogs, Karamzin, delicious meals, and gossiped about officials from other departments.

When characterizing the prosecutor, Gogol combines high and low: “he was neither fat nor thin, he had Anna around his neck, and it was even said that he was introduced to a star; however, he was a big good-natured man and even sometimes embroidered on tulle himself ... "Notice that nothing is said here about what this person received the award for - the Order of St. Anne is issued "to those who love truth, piety and fidelity", and is also awarded for military merit. But after all, no battles or special episodes where piety and fidelity would be mentioned are mentioned at all. The main thing is that the prosecutor is engaged in needlework, and not his official duties. Sobakevich speaks unflatteringly about the prosecutor: the prosecutor, they say, is an idle person, therefore he sits at home, and a lawyer, a well-known grabber, works for him. There is nothing to talk about here - what order can there be if a person who is completely ignorant of the issue is trying to solve it while an authorized person is embroidering on tulle.

A similar device is used to describe the postmaster, a serious and silent person, short but witty and a philosopher. Only in this case, various qualitative characteristics are combined in one row: "short", "but a philosopher." That is, here growth becomes an allegory for the mental abilities of this person.

The reaction to experiences and reforms is also shown very ironically: from new appointments and the number of papers, civil servants are losing weight (“And the chairman lost weight, and the inspector of the medical board lost weight, and the prosecutor lost weight, and some Semyon Ivanovich ... and he lost weight”), but there were and those who courageously kept themselves in their former form. And the meetings, according to Gogol, were successful only when it was possible to have a drink or have lunch, but, of course, it is not the officials who are to blame for this, but the mentality of the people.

Gogol in "Dead Souls" depicts officials only at dinners, playing whist or other card games. Only once does the reader see officials at their workplace, when Chichikov came to draw up a bill of sale for the peasants. In the department, Pavel Ivanovich is unambiguously hinted that things will not be done without a bribe, and there is nothing to say about a quick resolution of the issue without a certain amount. This is also confirmed by the chief of police, who "has only to blink, passing by a fish row or a cellar," and he has balyks and good wines. No request is considered without a bribe.

Officials in The Tale of Captain Kopeikin

The most cruel is the story of Captain Kopeikin. A war invalid, in search of truth and help, travels from the Russian hinterland to the capital to ask for an audience with the tsar himself. Kopeikin's hopes are shattered by a terrible reality: while cities and villages are in poverty and receive less money, the capital is chic. The meeting with the king and high-ranking officials is constantly postponed. Completely desperate, Captain Kopeikin sneaks into the reception room of a high-ranking official, demanding that his question be immediately put under consideration, otherwise he, Kopeikin, will not leave the office anywhere. The official assures the veteran that now the assistant will take the latter to the emperor himself, and for a second the reader believes in a happy outcome - he rejoices along with Kopeikin, riding in a britzka, hopes and believes in the best. However, the story ends disappointingly: after this incident, no one else met Kopeikin. This episode is actually frightening, because human life turns out to be an insignificant trifle, from the loss of which the entire system will not suffer at all.

When Chichikov's scam came to light, they were in no hurry to arrest Pavel Ivanovich, because they could not understand whether he was the kind of person who needed to be detained, or one who himself would detain everyone and make them guilty. The characteristics of officials in "Dead Souls" can be the words of the author himself that these are people who sit quietly on the sidelines, accumulate capital and arrange their lives at the expense of others. Waste, bureaucracy, bribery, nepotism and meanness - this is what characterized the people who were in power in Russia in the 19th century.

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The governor of the city is one of the secondary characters in the poem "Dead Souls". Like other officials of the city of N, the governor is delighted with the charming swindler Chichikov, invites him to his evenings and introduces his wife and daughter. The stupid governor, like all other officials, realizes too late who Chichikov is. The swindler Chichikov safely leaves the city with ready-made documents for "dead souls".

Vice-Governor "... with the Vice-Governor and the Chairman of the House, who were still only State Councilors..." a man, - answered Chichikov ... ”“ ... He and even the vice-governor are Gog and Magog! ... ”(Sobakevich says that the vice-governor and the governor are robbers)

The prosecutor is one of the officials of city N in the poem "Dead Souls" by Gogol. The main features of the prosecutor's appearance are his thick eyebrows and blinking eyes. According to Sobakevich, among all the officials, the prosecutor is one decent person, but even he is still a "pig." When Chichikov's scam is revealed, the prosecutor is so worried that he suddenly dies.

Postmaster - one of the officials of city N in the poem "Dead Souls". This article presents a quotation image and characteristics of the postmaster in the poem "Dead Souls": a description of the appearance and character of the hero
The chairman of the chamber is one of the officials of city N in the poem "Dead Souls". Ivan Grigorievich is a rather nice, amiable, but stupid person. Chichikov easily deceives both the chairman and other officials. The stupid chairman of the chamber is unaware of Chichikov's scam and even himself helps to draw up documents for "dead souls".

Police chief Alexei Ivanovich is one of the officials of the provincial city N in the poem "Dead Souls". Sometimes this character is erroneously referred to as the "police chief". But, according to the text of "Dead Souls", the position of the hero is called "police chief". This article presents a quotation image and characterization of the police chief in the poem "Dead Souls": a description of the appearance and character of the hero.
Inspector of the medical council "... he even came to pay his respects to the inspector of the medical council..." the medical board suddenly turned pale; God knows what it seemed to him: whether the word “dead souls” does not mean sick people who died in significant numbers in hospitals and in other places from general fever, against which proper measures were not taken, and that Chichikov was not sent ... "

Mayor “... Then he was […] at a snack after mass, given by the mayor, which was also worth dinner…” (the mayor hopes to profit)

Gendarme colonel "... the gendarmerie colonel said that he was a learned man ..." (colonel about Chichikov)

The manager of state-owned factories "... then he was […] at the head of state-owned factories .."
City architect “... he even came to pay respect […] to the city architect

Officials, bred in "Dead Souls", are strong in their mutual responsibility. They feel the commonality of their interests and the need, if necessary, to defend themselves together. They have the features of a special class in a class society. They are the third force, the average acting, average statistical majority, which actually governs the country. Provincial society is alien to the concept of civil and public duties, for them a position is only a means of personal pleasure and well-being, a source of income. Bribery, servility to higher ranks, a complete lack of intelligence reign in their midst. The bureaucracy rallied into a corporation of embezzlers and robbers. Gogol wrote in his diary about the provincial society: “The ideal of the city is emptiness. Gossip that has crossed the limits. Among officials, "meanness, completely disinterested, pure meanness" flourishes. Most of the officials are uneducated, empty people, living according to a pattern, who give up in a new everyday situation.
Abuses of officials are most often ridiculous, insignificant and absurd. “You do not take according to your order” - that is what is considered a sin in this world. But it is the “vulgarity of everything as a whole”, and not the size of the criminal acts, that horrifies readers. “The amazing mire of trifles,” as Gogol writes in the poem, has swallowed up modern man.

Officialdom in "Dead Souls" is not only the "flesh of the flesh" of a soulless, ugly society; it is also the foundation upon which this society rests. As long as the provincial society considers Chichikov a millionaire and a "Kherson landowner", then the officials treat the visitor accordingly. Since the governor "gave the go-ahead", then any official would immediately issue the papers necessary for Chichikov; of course, not free of charge: after all, the original habit of taking bribes from a Russian official cannot be eradicated by anything. And Gogol, with short, but unusually expressive strokes, painted a portrait of Ivan Antonovich Kuvshinnoye Rylo, which can be safely called a symbol of Russian bureaucracy. He appears in the seventh chapter of the poem and speaks only a few words. Ivan Antonovich is, in fact, not even a person, but a soulless “cog” in the state machine. And other officials are no better.

What is even a prosecutor worth, in which there is nothing but thick eyebrows ...
When Chichikov's scam was revealed, the officials were confused and suddenly "found ... sins in themselves." Gogol laughs angrily at how bureaucrats, mired in criminal activity, endowed with power, help the swindler in his dirty machinations, fearing their exposure.
To the greatest extent, the lack of spirituality of the state machine is shown by Gogol in The Tale of Captain Kopeikin. Faced with the bureaucratic mechanism, the war hero turns not even into a speck of dust, he turns into nothing. And in this case, the fate of the captain is unjustly decided not by the provincial semi-literate Ivan Antonovich, but by the capital's nobleman of the highest rank, who is well received by the tsar himself! But even here, at the highest state level, a simple honest person, even a hero, has nothing to hope for understanding and participation. It is no coincidence that when the poem passed the censorship, it was The Tale of Captain Kopeikin that was ruthlessly cut by the censors. Moreover, Gogol was forced to rewrite it almost anew, significantly softening the tone and smoothing out sharp corners. As a result, little remains of The Tale of Captain Kopeikin from what the author originally intended.
Gogol's city is a symbolic, "prefabricated city of the entire dark side", and bureaucracy is an integral part of it.

Before going to the landlords, Chichikov spent some time in the city of NN. Here he happened to meet the officials and learn about their way of life. N.V. Gogol called his poem "Dead Souls" not because Chichikov wanted to pull off a scam to buy up "dead" peasant souls. This name is due to the fact that the writer wanted to draw attention to the landlords and officials, whose souls had long since died.

Officials in the city are presented as a selection. That the governor, that the prosecutor - they are all spiritually impersonal people. Chichikov, when he turned to the officials, immediately learned that in order to get something from them, you need to pay a bribe. Otherwise, there is nothing to hope for. Officials should help people, this is their main duty. However, this is not important for them, they do not care about people, they only think about personal gain.

The wives of officials do not work anywhere, and do not do anything at all. They think only about having a good time, and their husbands fully support them in this. Chichikov was even in one house where officials gathered. They played cards from three in the afternoon until two in the morning. That's what people do, whose duty is to help people and resolve serious issues.

They do not develop in any way, and apart from card games they are not interested in anything. They, like the landlords, have long been impoverished in soul. Other people's problems are alien to them, they have "dead souls". Officials do not hesitate to rob not only the population, but also the state. They feel their impunity and this situation is reminiscent of our country now. Therefore, Gogol's work is more relevant than ever.

Who did not become first of all
man, that bad citizen.
V.G. Belinsky

In his poem, Gogol mercilessly castigates officials with the light of satire. They are like a collection of strange and unpleasant insects, collected by the author. Not a very attractive image, but are the officials themselves pleasant? If we remember that all these "statesmen" are in the service; if we recall that Gogol described the province (where the picture of the state is most typical); if you remember that Gogol was very criticized (which most clearly shows the veracity of the poem, despite all the grotesque) for his work, it becomes truly scary for Russia, for the form in which it existed. Let's take a closer look at this creepy collection.

Russia has always been divided by modern critics into two parts: the peasantry, the people, and landowners with officials. Here it would be necessary to add a third layer, at that time still emerging; his representative is Chichikov. He is like a pale toadstool growing on the bodies of landlords collapsing into oblivion. But was the landlord and bureaucratic stratum really doomed? After all, the state existed, and it seems to be not bad ...

What is an urban society? In his description, Gogol used one, but very vivid image: the officials “... flashed and rushed apart and in heaps here and there, like flies rushing around, ... and air squadrons ..., lifted by light air, take off boldly, like full masters ... not to eat, but only to show themselves ... ”With one comparison, Gogol immediately shows the great Void, Void with a capital letter, reigning in the minds and souls of officials.

What are the landlords and officials separately? Let's start with the "statesmen" who are in the service, personifying state power; on which the life of the people depends.

Prosecutor. His "silence" and "seriousness", taken by everyone as a sign of a great mind, is just evidence that he simply has nothing to say. It can be seen that he is the biggest bribe taker: the news of the "dead souls" and the unrest associated with it shock him so much that he, unable to bear the huge, all-consuming fear ... dies.

Here is the President of the House. He is a "very" judicious "amiable person". All! This is where his characterization ends. Nothing is said about the hobbies or inclinations of this person - there is simply nothing to talk about!

The postmaster is little better than the rest. Only at the time of the card game is a “thinking physiognomy” depicted on his face. The rest of the time he is "spoken". But nothing is said about the content of the speeches. Obviously unnecessary.

It should not be thought that there are important differences between landowners and officials. Both those and others are endowed with power that brings money.

Chichikov consistently visits four landowners in the poem. A visit to Manilov shows the highest degree of emptiness and worthlessness. Manilov, about whom one can say that his hobby - dreams - turned into a "profession", brought his economy to such a state in which everything collapses from air decay and unsteadiness. One can guess about the further fate of Mani lovka and the estate: they will be mortgaged if they do not fall apart earlier.

Box and Plushkin. These are two hypostases of the same phenomenon: senseless and greedy hoarding. This greed has been taken to the point of absurdity: Korobochka and Plyushkin differ only in the size of the smallest and worthless object dragged into the house, into the chests, in general “inside”. Both Korobochka and Plyushkin have complete closeness and isolation from the world, in one of them it is expressed in a deaf fence and chain dogs, in a non-escape sitting at home; the other - in misanthropism, hatred of all potential spenders, as a result - of all people. Plyushkin's household is already ruined remains; Korobochka's farm is a "fortress" ready to grow moldy and fall into itself.

Sobakevich is a strong master. It seems that it is his economy - strong, although uncouth, oak - that will last the longest. The peasants live relatively well... Although we do not know if this is true, we know about the peasants of Sobakevich only from their dwellings - gray but strong huts. One can guess that Sobakevich keeps his peasants in strict discipline. Who can guarantee that in some lean year the peasants will not rebel and sweep away Sobakevich with his family and estate? The Russian rebellion will be all the more senseless and merciless because the peasants from Manilovki, Vshivyh Spiesy and other villages will certainly join it.

And now - Chichikov, by position - an official, by intentions - a landowner, by nature - a crafty slave, humiliating himself in front of the right person. “In adapting, people want to save themselves, and at the same time lose themselves,” said the Russian essayist M.I. Prishvin. This is very similar to Chichikov. Looking at those masks under which Chichikov is hiding, one can hardly see his true face of a scoundrel and opportunist. But the failures that pursue him are the inevitable consequence of his machinations directed against people.

As for the environment in which such ugly personal computers appeared, they shaped it, adjusted it for themselves. The environment, musty and dark, made more and more officials and landowners serving it. Only a revolution could break this vicious circle, which finally took place after 1861 and 1905.

So, where is the future of Russia, which in the end will rise and bloom? It is already clear that these are neither landowners nor Chichikov, the latter does not even have his own distinct face, he is rather an exception; nor officials who have subjugated power and law. The people, the Russian people, who will rise up, having finally felt freedom, part of which is both the intelligentsia and some really tenacious, business people, this is Russia, we and our future.