Characteristics and image of Chichikov in the poem dead souls of Gogol essay. The image of Chichikov in the poem "Dead Souls": a description of appearance and character in quotes The negative qualities of Chichikov
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov - main character famous poem N.V. Gogol " Dead Souls”, in the past he is an official and an avid careerist, then he became a clever swindler and manipulator. He travels through the villages of the Russian hinterland, meets with various landowners and nobles, tries to earn their trust and thus turn out profitable business for himself.
Chichikov is interested in buying the so-called "dead souls", documents for serfs who have already died, but due to the fact that the population census was carried out once every few years, they are documented as living. An enterprising businessman plans to resell these souls, along with the land he plans to buy for a penny, and earn good capital from this. The image of Chichikov is fresh and A New Look on the adventurous image of an entrepreneur in Russian literature.
Characteristics of the main character
("Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich. In front of the box" Artist P. Sokolov, 1890)
Inner world Chichikov before last chapter in the book remains mysterious and ambiguous for everyone. The description of his appearance is averaged to the maximum: not handsome, and not bad, not very fat, but not thin, not old, and not young. The main features of this hero are averageness (this is a quiet and inconspicuous gentleman, distinguished by pleasant manners, roundness and smoothness) and high degree entrepreneurial spirit. Even the manner of communication does not betray his character: he does not speak loudly, not quietly, he knows how to find an approach everywhere and is known everywhere as his person.
The features of Chichikov's inner world are revealed through the manner of his communication with the landowners, whom he attracts to his side and, skillfully manipulating, persuades them to sell "dead souls". The author notes the ability of a cunning adventurer to adapt to his interlocutor and copy his manners. Chichikov knows people very well, finds his own advantage in everything, and how a subtle psychologist tells people what they need.
(Illustration by V. Makovsky "Chichikov at Manilov")
Chichikov is an active and active person, it is very important for him not only to keep what he has earned, but also to increase it (as many times as possible). Moreover, irrepressible greed does not torment him like Plyushkin, because money for him is only a means to ensure a decent life.
Chichikov comes from a poor, respectable family, and his father advised him to always please his superiors and hang out with the right people, and taught him that "a penny opens any door." Having no initial concepts of duty and conscience, Chichikov, having matured, understands that moral values only prevent him from achieving his goals and therefore often neglects the voice of conscience, paving the way in life with his own forehead.
(Illustration "Little Chichikov")
And although Chichikov is a swindler and a rogue, he cannot be denied perseverance, talent and ingenuity. At school, he sold buns to his classmates (whom they treated him to), at every job he tried to find his own profit and tried to get rich, as a result he came up with an idea with " dead souls”And tried to crank it up, playing on the feelings and base instincts of the people around him. At the end of the work, Chichikov's scam opens and becomes public, he is forced to leave.
The image of the main character in the work
("Chichikov's toilet" Artist P.P. Sokolov 1966)
In his famous work which took him 17 years painstaking work, Gogol created a comprehensive picture of modern Russian realities and revealed a diverse gallery of characters and types of people of that time. The image of Chichikov, a talented entrepreneur and unprincipled swindler, is, according to the author, "a terrible and vile force that is not capable of reviving the Fatherland."
Trying to live according to the precepts of his father, Chichikov tried to live economically and save every penny, but realizing that you can’t make a lot of wealth in an honest way, he finds a loophole in the Russian legislation of those years and proceeds to fulfill his plan. Not having achieved the desired, he stigmatizes himself as a swindler and a rogue, and is forced to abandon his ideas.
What lesson did this character take out of this situation remains unclear to us, because the second volume this work was destroyed by the author, we are left to assume what happened next and whether Chichikov is to blame for what he tried to do or society and the principles to which it is subject are to blame.
“All Rus' will appear in it,” N. V. Gogol said about his work “Dead Souls”. Sending his hero on a journey through Russia, the author seeks to show everything that is characteristic of the Russian national character, everything that forms the basis of Russian life, the history and modernity of Russia, is trying to look into the future ... From the height of his ideas about the ideal, the author judges "all the terrible, amazing mud of little things that have entangled our life", Gogol's penetrating gaze explores the life of Russian landowners, peasants, the state of people's souls. The wide typification of the images of the poem became a prerequisite for the fact that the names of many of Gogol's heroes became common nouns. And yet Gogol could be considered a genius at the same time only by creating an image of " sweetest person» Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. What kind of person is this Chichikov? The author emphasizes that the time of virtuous heroes has passed, and therefore shows us ... a scoundrel.
The origin of the hero, as the author says, is "dark and modest." His parents are impoverished nobles, and his father, sending Pavlush to the city school, can leave him only “half a copper” and a wise order: to please the Teachers and bosses and, most importantly, save and save a penny. Even in childhood, Pavlusha discovers great practicality. He knows how to deny himself everything, just to save at least a small amount. He pleases teachers, but only as long as he depends on them. After graduating from college, Pavlusha no longer considers it necessary to help the drunken teacher.
Chichikov convinces himself that there is no "attachment to money proper for money's sake" in him. Money is a means to achieve life "in all contentment." With bitter irony, the author notes that the hero of the poem would even sometimes like to help people, "but only so that it does not consist in a significant amount." And so, gradually, the desire for hoarding obscures the most important moral principles for the hero. Fraud, bribery, meanness, fraud at customs - these are the means by which Pavel Ivanovich tries to ensure a decent existence for himself and his future children. It is not surprising that just such a hero conceives a fantastic scam: the purchase of "dead souls" in order to pledge them to the treasury. He has not been interested in the moral aspect of such transactions for a long time, he fully justifies himself by the fact that he “uses the excess”, “takes where anyone would take”.
You have to give the hero his due. He does not enjoy patronage, there are not enough stars from the sky; everything he achieves is the result of hard work and constant deprivation. Moreover, every time the contours of luck appear on the horizon, another disaster falls on the head of the hero. Gogol pays tribute to "the irresistible strength of his character", for he understands how hard it is for a Russian person to "throw a bridle on everything that would like to jump out and walk free."
Chichikov is not only tireless in devising ingenious plans. His whole appearance has already been adapted to make it easier to "save a penny." There are no striking features in his appearance, he is "not too fat, not too thin", "not handsome, but not bad-looking either." Chichikov knows people very well and speaks with everyone in a language understandable to his interlocutor. He conquers officials with “the pleasantness of secular treatment,” Manilov enchants with a sugary tone, knows how to scare Korobochka, plays Checkers with Nozdryov on the souls of dead peasants. Even with Plyushkin, who avoids communication with people, Chichikov finds a common language.
Chichikov is a new type of businessman-entrepreneur for Russian reality. But this does not mean that Gogol excludes him from a number of literary associations. Sometimes Pavel Ivanovich resembles a romantic secular hero who "... was ready to let go of the answer, probably no worse than those that are let go in fashionable stories ...". Secondly, in Pavel Ivanovich there is something of the image of a romantic robber (according to rumors, he breaks into Korobochka "like Rinald Rinaldina"). Thirdly, city officials compare him to Napoleon, who was "released" from Helena. Finally, Chichikov is identified even with the Antichrist. Of course, such associations are parodic. But not only. The worst thing, according to Gogol, is that the appearance of such a hero says that vice has ceased to be majestic, and evil - heroic. Chichikov is an anti-hero, an anti-villain. He embodies only the prose of adventurism for the sake of money.
Of course, it is no coincidence that officials compare Chichikov with Captain Kopeikin. Within the framework of the plot, this comparison is comical (the postmaster does not pay attention to the fact that Chichikov has his arms and legs in place), but for the writer it is of great importance, it is not for nothing that even the name of the noble captain is consonant with Chichikov's "save a penny." The hero of the war of 1812 embodies the romantic era of the recent past, but now time has completely crushed, and the Chichikovs have become his heroes. And the worst thing is that in life they are perceived by people in the same way as in the poem. They are called interesting, everyone is happy with them. That is why Gogol considers it necessary to look deeper into their souls, to discover their "most intimate thoughts", that which "eludes and hides from the light."
Nevertheless, it is Chichikov in the poem who is one of the few "people of the path" who, according to Gogol, were destined to be reborn. Yes, the hero's goal is petty, but movement towards it is better than complete immobility. However, the second volume of the poem, in which the hero was supposed to come to the purification of the soul, was never published.
The social soil on which the Chichikovs flourished has long been destroyed. And the evil of hoarding continues to entangle humanity. Is this why the image of Chichikov can be considered Gogol's brilliant discovery?
Poem "Dead Souls" occupies a special place in the work of Gogol. The writer considered this work the main work of his life, Pushkin's spiritual covenant, which prompted him the basis of the plot. In the poem, the author reflected the way of life and mores of different strata of society - peasants, landowners, officials. The images in the poem, according to the author, "are not at all portraits of insignificant people, on the contrary, they contain the features of those who consider themselves better than others." Close-up landowners, owners of serf souls, "masters" of life are shown in the poem. Gogol consistently, from hero to hero, reveals their characters and shows the insignificance of their existence. Starting with Manilov and ending with Plyushkin, the author intensifies his satire and exposes the underworld of landowner-bureaucratic Russia.
The protagonist of the work - Chichikov- up to the last chapter of the first volume remains a mystery to everyone: both for officials of the city of N, and for readers. The author reveals the inner world of Pavel Ivanovich in the scenes of his meetings with the landowners. Gogol draws attention to the fact that Chichikov is constantly changing and almost copies the behavior of his interlocutors. Talking about Chichikov's meeting with Korobochka, Gogol says that in Russia a person speaks differently with the owners of two hundred, three hundred, five hundred souls: "... at least rise up to a million, there are all shades."
Chichikov perfectly studied people, in any situation he knows how to find a benefit, he always says what they would like to hear from him. So, with Manilov, Chichikov is pompous, amiable and flattering. He talks to Korobochka already without any special ceremonies, and his vocabulary is consonant with the style of the hostess. Communication with the arrogant liar Nozdrev is not easy, since Pavel Ivanovich does not tolerate familiar treatment, "... except if the person is of too high rank." However, hoping for a lucrative deal, he does not leave Nozdryov's estate until the last and tries to become like him: he turns to "you", adopts a boorish tone, and behaves familiarly. The image of Sobakevich, personifying the solidity of the landowner's life, immediately prompts Pavel Ivanovich to lead as thorough a conversation as possible about dead souls. Chichikov manages to win over "a hole in the human body"- Plyushkin, who has long lost contact with outside world and forgot the rules of politeness. To do this, it was enough for him to play the role of a “motishka”, ready at a loss to save a casual acquaintance from having to pay taxes for the dead peasants.
It is not difficult for Chichikov to change his appearance, because it has all the qualities that form the basis of the characters of the depicted landowners. This is confirmed by episodes in the poem, where Chichikov is left alone with himself and he does not need to adapt to others. Looking around the city of N, Pavel Ivanovich “teared off the poster nailed to the post so that when he came home he could read it thoroughly,” and after reading it, “teared it neatly and put it in his chest, where he used to put everything that came across.” This is reminiscent of the habits of Plyushkin, who collected and kept various kinds of rags and toothpicks. The colorlessness and uncertainty that accompany Chichikov until the last pages of the first volume of the poem make him related to Manilov. That is why the officials of the provincial city make ridiculous guesses, trying to establish the true identity of the hero. Chichikov's love to neatly and meticulously lay out everything in his chest brings him closer to Korobochka. Nozdryov notices that Chichikov looks like Sobakevich. All this suggests that the character of the protagonist, as in a mirror, reflected the features of all the landowners: Manilov's love for meaningless conversations and "noble" gestures, and Korobochka's pettiness, and Nozdrev's narcissism, and Sobakevich's rudeness, and Plyushkin's hoarding.
And at the same time, Chichikov differs sharply from the landowners shown in the first chapters of the poem. He has a different psychology than that of Manilov, Sobakevich, Nozdrev and other landowners. He is characterized by extraordinary energy, business acumen, determination, although morally he does not rise above the owners of serf souls. Many years of bureaucratic activity left a noticeable imprint on his manner of behavior and speech. Evidence of this is the cordial welcome given to him in the provincial "high society". Among officials and landowners, he new person, the acquirer who will replace the manilov, nostril, sobakevich and plushkin.
The soul of Chichikov, just like the souls of the landowners and officials, became dead. The “shining joy of life” is inaccessible to him, he is almost completely devoid of human feelings. In order to achieve his practical goals, he pacified his blood, which "played strong."
Gogol sought to understand the psychological nature of Chichikov as a new phenomenon, and for this, in the last chapter of the poem, he talks about his life. Chichikov's biography explains the formation of the character revealed in the poem. The hero's childhood was dull and joyless, without friends and maternal affection, with constant reproaches from his sick father, and could not but affect his future fate. His father left him a legacy of half a copper and a covenant to study diligently, please teachers and bosses, and, most importantly, save a penny. Pavlusha learned his father's instructions well and directed all his energy towards achieving his cherished goal - wealth. He quickly realized that everything lofty concepts only interfere with the achievement of his goal, and began to make his own way. At first, he acted in a childishly straightforward way - in every way he pleased the teacher and thanks to this he became his favorite. Growing up, he realized that for every person you can find special approach, and began to achieve more significant success. Having promised to marry the daughter of his boss, he got a job as an assistant. While serving at customs, he managed to convince his superiors of his incorruptibility, and later to establish contact with smugglers and amass a huge fortune. All the brilliant victories of Chichikov ended in failure, but no setbacks could break his thirst for profit.
However, the author notes that in Chichikov, in contrast to Plyushkin, “there was no attachment to money for the sake of money proper, he was not possessed by stinginess and stinginess. No, they didn’t move him - he imagined life ahead in all its pleasures, so that finally later, over time, he would certainly taste all this, that’s what the penny was saved for. Gogol notes that the protagonist of the poem is the only character capable of manifesting the movements of the soul. “It is clear that the Chichikovs turn into poets for a few minutes,” says the author, when his hero stops “as if stunned by a blow” in front of the young daughter of the governor. And it was this “human” movement of the soul that led to the failure of his promising undertaking. According to the author, sincerity, sincerity and selflessness are the most dangerous qualities in a world where cynicism, lies and profit reign. The fact that Gogol transferred his hero to the second volume of the poem suggests that he believed in his spiritual rebirth. In the second volume of the poem, the writer planned to spiritually "purify" Chichikov and put him on the path of spiritual resurrection. The resurrection of the "hero of time", according to him, was to be the beginning of the resurrection of the whole society. But, unfortunately, the second volume " dead souls”was burned, and the third was not written, so we can only guess how the moral revival of Chichikov took place.
All topics of the book “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol. Summary. features of the poem. Compositions":
Summary poem "Dead Souls":
The image of Chichikov in N. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls"
N. V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" was milestone in the development of Russian critical realism and was the pinnacle artistic creativity writer. In his work, Gogol ridiculed the vices of feudal Russia from top to bottom: from the provincial wilderness to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Gogol, according to Herzen, "flaunted Russia noblemen, 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 whole poem, and all 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.” Of course, the writer did not reduce his work to the story of one person; he saw his task in analyzing the various phenomena of life. However, Chichikov is the main character of the poem, holding the whole story together.
Chichikov, revolving in the circle of landowners, is a person with other life principles. Before us, Gogol creates a typical image of a representative of the emerging bourgeoisie. By origin, he also belongs to the nobility, but the estate, where he could do farming, does not bring him income. Chichikov's father was not rich, and he left four worn sweatshirts, two old frock coats and an insignificant amount of money as a legacy to his son. Chichikov, unlike other landowners, made his own way in life. Even during his time at school, he showed an amazing resourcefulness in terms of making money. Practicality, prudence, roguery were already inherent in the character of Chichikov. His fantasy briskly worked on the invention of various kinds of commercial operations. In addition, he deftly knew how to gain confidence in school mentors, and therefore was at school "on an excellent account" and upon graduation he received a book "with golden letters for exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior." However, Chichikov early years I learned to evaluate my relationships with people in terms of real benefit. So, for example, he refuses to help the school mentor, although earlier (as a student) he fawned over him. Indifference to other people's beams is another trait in the character of this character.
All low spiritual qualities Chichikov manifests itself with special force when he embarks on the path of independent life activity. The desire to make an “increment to half a ruble”, which led him from early childhood, has now turned into a passionate thirst for hoarding. Chichikov was greatly impressed by the paintings of the rich, luxurious life. “When a rich man rushed past him on a flying beautiful droshky, on trotters in a rich harness, he stopped in his tracks as if rooted to the spot and then, waking up, as after a long sleep, said: “But there was a clerk, he wore his hair in a circle!”
Having set as his goal to become by all means a rich man, he shows exceptional perseverance, tremendous energy and ingenuity. Chichikov embarks on any scam and speculation, if they promise profits.
Appearing in provincial city under the guise of a landowner according to his needs, Chichikov extremely quickly not only enters the "chosen society", but also wins universal sympathy, because as a result of long life practice he brilliantly developed in himself the ability to adapt. He knows how to show himself as a man of good secular education, with a great and versatile cult. But main force 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 officials, and the governor himself, were pleased with the arrival of a new interesting person.
Gogol shows that Chichikov very easily "reincarnates", quickly passes from one manner of behavior to another, without changing, however, in anything either himself or his goals. So, for example, in a conversation with Manilov, he easily catches his manner of behavior. Pael Ivanovich is also gallant and courteous, has a penchant for "high" matters, full of sentimental sensitivity. But with Korobochka, Chichikov does not show gallantry. The conversation with her is of a completely different nature. The highly experienced hero quickly deciphers the essence of the character of the landowner and therefore acts very unceremoniously. He does not consider it necessary to be particularly shy - after all, delicacy cannot achieve a concession in acquiring dead souls.
When meeting with Nozdrev Chichikov diligently adapts to the free and unceremonious style of behavior of a new acquaintance. Nozdryov does not recognize other relationships than "friendly" (what he considers them to be), therefore Chichikov behaves as if they are friends with this landowner. When Nozdryov begins to brag, Chichikov prefers to remain silent, but he vigilantly watches so as not to fall into the nets set by his newfound "friend".
Chichikov's directness and spontaneity completely disappear when he meets Sobakevich and is replaced by a search. correct forms behavior with this "clumsy bear". Sobakevich is a businessman who knows how to keep his own advantage in everything. In a conversation with him, the main character shows himself to be a wise businessman who knows all sorts of ways to influence a partner. "You won't knock him down, you're unyielding!" Sobakevich thinks to himself.
Chichikov finds an approach to Plushkin, taking the form of a generous well-wisher who wants to help a lonely and defenseless old man. Only in this way it was possible not to arouse suspicion in the hoarder, who is most afraid of being robbed. Having completed all these metamorphoses, the hero again finds in a circle provincial society the appearance of a pleasant person, causing noisy delights. The ease of reincarnation reveals the extraordinary energy and resourcefulness of Chichikov. We understand that behind the imaginary courtesy and gentleness of Chichikov lies a prudent and predatory nature. On his face is the mask of a pious and well-behaved person.
Chichikov does not recognize anything and does not believe in anything except money. Appearing in society in the form of a decent person, he is not in the least inclined to virtue. His mask of good nature and benevolence is only a tool that helps him turn things around.
Obsessed with a passion for wealth, Chichikov does not look like a selfless player who loses his sense of proportion. He is prudent and meticulous. 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 the absence of any moral principles. Referring to the biography of Chichikov, the writer declares: "No, it's time to harness the scoundrel." So, acquisitiveness, predation and immorality in the guise of Chichikov are merged into one.
Comparing Chichikov with the landlords, Gogol showed those new features that are characteristic of the heroes who were formed outside the atmosphere of the manor estate. Life tenacity, unusual resourcefulness, adventurism come to the fore here. In an effort to achieve his goals, Chichikov does not know peace. He is in constant motion. The contemplativeness of Manilov is alien to him, but at the same time he is far from the innocence of Korobochka. Cunning and enterprising, he sees 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 burn life, which are an integral feature of Nozdryov's appearance. If all the numerous undertakings of Nozdryov lead to nothing, then everything that Chichikov undertakes bears the stamp of practical ingenuity and efficiency. In turn, this efficiency is not like the rough 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 bred by Gogol in the poem. He, the representative of the new predatory entrepreneurship, does not oppose Manilov or Sobakevich. He grows together with them, gains 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 morality, Chichikov does not burden himself with these concepts, like those landowners with whom he meets.
Gogol shows the reasons for the mortification of the human soul in the image of Chichikov. A joyless childhood, a service where bribery flourishes, a society of immoral people - all this formed a prudent scoundrel out of him. 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. It gives people very accurate characteristics. However, Chichikov is a "dead soul" because he values nothing in life but 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 evaluated by him only from the point of view of material gain.
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It often happens that we don’t know enough about the actions or opinions of another person, we want to have a complete picture of him, even when his external data does not in any way affect his type of activity or is not related to the subject of discussion. This pattern has its reasons. Often, peering into a person's face, we try to lament something secret, something that he does not seek to talk about. Therefore, the appearance of any character has an important place for comparing his characteristics and actions.
Who is Chichikov
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is a former official of a "cautiously chilled character."
Until the last chapter of the work, many facts of the biography and origin of Pavel Ivanovich remain hidden for us, we can guess about some points based on the hints of the hero, and only after reading the last pages, we will find out the true picture.
Chichikov of humble origin. As he himself says, "without clan and tribe." And this is not an exaggeration. His parents really were ordinary people, this fact confuses Pavel Ivanovich, but, nevertheless, at some points he makes mention of this in society, referring to the fact that such a position in society will help win over the landowners and they will become more accommodating. Despite his humble origins, Pavel Ivanovich managed to become a man of "brilliant education", but "Chchichikov did not know French at all" (this is the privilege of aristocrats). Especially he was given the exact sciences, he quickly and easily made a calculation in his mind - "he was strong in arithmetic."
Passion for saving money
The judgment that the events that occurred in childhood properly influence the character, the process of formation of the principles and moral foundations of a person, has long passed from the category of assumptions into the category of axioms. We find confirmation of this in Chichikov.
Having worked for the proper time as a collegiate official, he resigned and began to seriously look for a way to enrich himself. By the way, the idea of the need to improve his financial situation never left Pavel Ivanovich, despite the fact that it was born in him with early age.
The reason for this was the humble origin of the protagonist and the poverty experienced in childhood. This is confirmed in the last paragraphs of the work, where the reader can observe the picture of the departure of the young Chichikov to study. Parents ardently and reverently say goodbye to him, give advice that would help their son take a more advantageous position in society:
“Look, Pavlusha, study, do not be a fool and do not hang out, but most of all please teachers and bosses. Don't hang out with your comrades, they won't teach you good things; hang out with those who are richer, so that they can be useful to you on occasion. Do not treat or treat anyone, take care and save a penny: this thing is more reliable than anything in the world. A comrade or friend will cheat you and in trouble will be the first to betray you, but a penny will not betray you, no matter what trouble you are in. You will do everything and break everything in the world with a penny.
Gogol does not depict in detail the life of Pavel's parents - a few snatched facts do not give complete picture, but Nikolai Vasilyevich manages to achieve an understanding among readers that his parents were honest and respectable people. They felt the burden of earning a living and do not want their son to work hard, and therefore give him such unusual recommendations.
Chichikov tries to follow the advice of his parents with all his might. And therefore, he manages to achieve significant results, but not as high as he wanted.
He learned to earn money and save it by denying himself everything he could. True, his earnings were based on an unfair and insidious way: in his behavior with classmates, he was able to arrange the situation in such a way that “they treated him, and he, hiding the received treat, then sold it to them.” “He didn’t have any special abilities for any kind of science,” but he could skillfully craft, for example, he molded a bullfinch from wax and managed to sell it at a good price. He knew how to communicate with animals, he had a talent for animal training. Pavlusha - caught a mouse and taught her several tricks: she "stand on her hind legs, lay down and got up on orders." Such a curiosity also managed to be sold for a decent sum.
Gogol does not say how his father's death affected Chichikov. The only thing he tells the reader is that after his father, Pavel inherited “four irrevocably worn sweatshirts, two old frock coats lined with lambskins, and an insignificant amount of money.” And he adds a sarcastic comment - the father gladly gave advice on enrichment, but he himself could not save anything.
His further life passed according to the same principle - he stubbornly saved up money - "everything that resonated with wealth and contentment made an impression on him, incomprehensible to himself." But an economical life does not allow him to accumulate large capital, and this fact upsets him very much - he decides to enrich himself in any way. Over time, a loophole was found and Chichikov hurries to take advantage of it, trying to enrich himself by fraudulent means. To do this, he travels around the villages and tries to buy "dead souls" from local landlords, so that later, passing them off as real people, he can sell them at a better price.
Appearance and character traits
Pavel Ivanovich is a stately middle-aged man and “good-looking”: “neither too fat nor too thin; one cannot say that he is old, but it is not so that he is too young.
It has everything in moderation - if it were a little fuller - it would be overkill and significantly spoil it. Chichikov himself also finds himself attractive. According to him, he is the owner beautiful face with an unusually beautiful chin.
He doesn't smoke, doesn't play cards, doesn't dance, and doesn't like to drive fast. In fact, all these preferences are associated with the avoidance of financial costs: tobacco costs money, to which is added the fear that the "pipe dries", you can lose a lot in cards, in order to dance, you must first learn this, and this one is also a waste - and this does not impress the main character, he tries to save as much as possible, because "a penny opens any door."
The fact that Chichikov has an ignoble origin allowed him to outline the ideal of a person close to high society (he knows perfectly well what, besides the financial and social status, aristocrats stand out for, which first of all catches the eye and impresses people).
First of all, Chichikov is an undeniable pedant and a chirpy. He is very principled in terms of hygiene: when it was necessary to wash, he “rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time”, wiped his whole body with a damp sponge, “which was done only on Sundays”, diligently exterminated the hair that had come out of his nose. This makes an unusually positive impression on the district landlords - they are very surprised by such habits, I consider them a sign of high society.
The next qualities that distinguish him noticeably from the crowd are knowledge and understanding of the basics of psychology and the ability to flatter a person. His praises always know the measure - there are not many and not few - just enough so that a person does not suspect deceit: "he was very skillfully able to flatter everyone."
On duty and, looking at the origin, Chichikov witnessed a variety of scenes, he was able to study the types of behavior different people and now in communication he easily found the key to the trust of any person. He perfectly understood what, to whom and in what form it was necessary to say so that a person would stop treating him with distrust: he, “who really knew great secret like".
Chichikov is a man of exceptional upbringing and tact in communication. Many find him charming, he has "charming qualities and techniques", and his behavior in society is admirable: "he did not like to allow familiar treatment with him in any case."
His efforts in the field of flattery are not in vain. The landlords, and the governor of the city N himself, soon speak of him as a man of the purest thoughts and aspirations. He is an ideal for them, an example to follow, everyone is ready to vouch for him.
But still, Chichikov does not always manage to find the key to the hearts of the bosses and the aristocracy. The stumbling block was the new boss, who was appointed "in the place of the former mattress, a military man, strict, an enemy of bribe-takers and everything that is called untruth." He immediately did not like Chichikov, and no matter how hard Pavel Ivanovich tried, "he could not rub himself in in any way, no matter how hard he tried."
He was careful with women, because he knew that they were too destructive for men: “their eyes are such an endless state into which a person has entered - and remember your name.” In general, it was not difficult for him to distance himself - romantic impulses were alien to him, he could find women beautiful, but things did not move beyond these remarks.
Like any other native ordinary people, he carefully treats all the attributes secular life- neatly folds letters and papers, monitors the condition of his clothes and stroller - everything in him must be perfect. He must give the impression of a successful and promising person, so he always has a rather expensive suit cleaned out and a “beautiful spring small britzka”.
He thinks that any flaws, even the smallest ones, can deal a significant blow to his reputation.
In the story, justice prevails - Chichikov's deception is revealed. He has no choice but to leave the city.
Thus, the Image of Chichikov is one of the examples when fiction writer gives the reader a unique basis for analysis different problems society. This is an indisputable fact, the character of the story has taken root in society so much that all global deceivers began to be called after him. The image itself is not without positive qualities character, but their number and significance against the general background of the image do not give the right to speak of Pavel Ivanovich as a positive person.
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