Khlestakov's image is an amazing generalization. A brief image of Khlestakov in the comedy "The Government Inspector": a man without moral principles

The image of the false auditor in Gogol's comedy is not at all the main one, but it is a key character, on the basis of interaction with which the characters of all the heroes, officials of a small county town, are written out. Khlestakov was that touchstone, which shows all the comedy and bureaucratic lawlessness, and the whole life of Russia at that time. It is on the stupidity of this petty official, who happened to be passing through here, that all the stupidity and worthlessness of the local aristocracy and the bureaucratic elite looms.

Initially, a stupid, eccentric young man is shown with excessive claims to life, which, as we understand, are his style of behavior. Then we see in his example the reality of this nature in other heroes of the play.

Khlestakov's characteristic

The initial characterization of Khlestakov was already given by the author himself, as a recommendation for the actor who will embody this image on stage. He is characterized as an empty and extremely stupid person. However, in the course of the play, the image of Khlestakov opens up more fully, in all its comic diversity.

It is no coincidence that the first appearance on the stage of this image is not associated with the young man himself, but with his servant, who talks for a long time about the owner. He characterizes him - “it would be good if it was worthwhile, otherwise it’s a simple lady”, meaning obviously the most insignificant rank and the fact that the owner behaves stupidly and arrogantly out of status. They are completely characterized by the local owner of the hotel - "you and your master are scammers, and your master is a rogue." It is difficult to give a more precise description. In a dispute with the owner, not just stupidity is manifested, but an awkward childish naivety in an attempt to still make a proper impression and deceive everyone.

(Artist L. Konstantinovsky, illustration for "The Government Inspector", 1951)

It is these attempts that he succeeds with success when he communicates with local officials. For local officials, the fear of exposure of their unseemly acts in the service and innate servility close up the seemingly obvious stupidity of the visitor. And Khlestakov, as they say, has already suffered.

In dealing with the mayor and the local elite, our hero shows remarkable imagination and reckless impudence, which could be quickly exposed in ordinary society, but in this case passes for the truth. No less stupid are the ladies, and the police, and the owner of the city himself, whom the author described as "not a very stupid person."

The image of Khlestakov as the main character of the comedy

And yet, Khlestakov, with his role in the play, interacting with the rest of the characters, is the main character. The way the rest of the characters characterize him, in a positive laudatory or in a negative ironic way, reveals their own characters.

By chance, finding himself in the role of the capital's auditor, Khlestakov, not at all embarrassed, takes on this role and fulfills it in accordance with his own primitive ideas about the habits and lifestyle of high officials. However, the fact that they cannot expose him suggests that it was precisely such habits that all bureaucracy was endowed with.

(Weinstein Mark Grigorievich "Khlestakov and the Governor", 1945-1952)

They easily believe him and obsequiously try to please, especially seeing in him a bird of "high flight". An intelligent mayor, seasoned policemen, young ladies easily recognize him as a capital burner. Obviously, according to Gogol's plan, this is a hyperbole of the beau monde that he observed in real life. And the final silent scene turns out to be the apogee of comedy and is perceived by the actors themselves as only a possible repetition of everything that happened.

Even the very fact of exposure did not in any way affect the change in the consciousness of one's own mistake and stupidity of either the local bigwigs or the false auditor himself. The only annoyance on both sides is the unfortunate mistake and the fact that this official did not turn out to be exactly who he claimed to be. Only one annoyance that "will spread history around the world." And the very fact of the mistake did not turn out to be a lesson for anyone, because the mistake itself was only in the personality of the arrived veil, but not in his behavior, actions, stories and boasting. As the mayor said - “I myself am not glad that I drank, as if even half of what he said turns out to be true!” This is precisely the main meaning invested in the image of the protagonist, the author. The stupidity of officials reveals the very viciousness of the entire bureaucratic system of the state.

Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov - the main character of the comedy N.V. Gogol's "Inspector". This is a young twenty-three-year-old man, slender and thin, superficial, without a clear idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhis place in life. According to the author, those around them consider them empty shells, because they are not able to answer either for their words or for their actions.

Khlestakov lost a large sum of money. For lack of funds, he huddles in a modest hotel room in the provincial town N. He has no food and clean clothes. Here the mayor discovers him, thinking that he is actually an auditor, incognito located in the city.

Small man

In Khlestakov, Gogol reveals the image of a "little man" who understands his insignificance in the world. He holds the position of adviser in the office, receives a modest salary. But in his thoughts, dreams, he sees himself as a significant person, who is worshiped, who lives beautifully, who is adored by women, running after him. But such a life is not destined for him.

Khlestakov's fantasies

It is impossible not to note the ability of Ivan Alexandrovich to lie and fantasize talentedly and incessantly. His frivolity and superficial thinking give the impression of a man "without a king in his head." He is not able to see the consequences of his actions, so he easily enters into an adventure with a false auditor. He is not embarrassed by deceit, he constantly lies about himself, inventing new incredible facts from his "luxurious" life. He claims that on the streets everyone recognizes him, that sometimes they take him for a general.

The most amazing thing is that he himself begins to believe in his stupid fantasies. He imagines himself a great writer, commander-in-chief, public figure, close to the emperor, almost the sovereign himself.

"Inspector"

Feeling no remorse, Khlestakov borrows money from officials, realizing that he will not be able to return it. His moral upbringing allows him to take care of two women at once - the wife and young daughter of the mayor himself. Moreover, he swears eternal love to both of them, quoting Karamzin, convinces them of the absence of boundaries for a great feeling.

Having crossed all the boundaries of what is permitted, Khlestakov, by sheer chance, leaves the city. This accident is happy for Ivan Alexandrovich, because a real auditor will soon be announced in the city. The mayor and all the officials of the city of N will find out that they have warmed up the deceiver. But most of all they worry about the fact that Khlestakov will now tell everyone about their shame.

Khlestakovs in Russia

In the image of Khlestakov N.V. Gogol presented us with such a concept, typical for Russia of that time, as “Khlestakovism”. Although, in my opinion, this phenomenon is relevant to this day. And today we can meet people covered with an aura of lies, fantasy, frivolity, superficiality and stupidity. The worst thing about them is that they seek to impersonate those who they are not, thereby showing an extreme degree of irresponsibility.

The role of Khlestakov and the means of creating his image. Khlestakov is the central character of the comedy. The writer managed to portray a hero who contributes to the development of the action. This was Gogol's innovation, since, despite the fact that Khlestakov is neither a reasoning hero, nor a conscious deceiver, nor a hero of a love affair, his image motivates the development of the plot. Gogol finds a new impetus that promotes this development. In his comedy, everything rests on the situation of self-deception, which becomes possible precisely thanks to such a hero.

The image of Khlestakov is the embodiment of ideal emptiness and ideal stupidity. We can say that it lacks its own content. He is nothing of himself, a person without inner content. Therefore, he can easily transform and play the roles that are imposed on him. Khlestakov weaves an intrigue, but we see that he himself is not aware of this. He rejoices in the honors shown to him and does not even try to find out the reason for such a ceremonial reception; he does not suspect that he was mistaken for an auditor; he simply does what those around him offer him, and by his actions he is even more established in their eyes as an official from St. Petersburg.

Khlestakov not so much consciously or deliberately deceives the heroes of the comedy as he misleads them. At the first meeting with the mayor, he tries to intimidate him so as not to end up in prison, although he himself is no less frightened. In the house of the Governor, Khlestakov lies just as unintentionally, he seeks to rise in the eyes of the audience and therefore invents for himself a dizzying career from a petty official to a field marshal. In addition to the role of the auditor, commander in chief, head of the department, he also takes on the appearance of a benefactor for the city, a writer and even the fiancé of Marya Antonovna, the daughter of Gorodnichiy. He assumes one form or another according to the situation in which he finds himself; and therefore it can be said that he is practically invulnerable. It can be compared to a chameleon that changes its color not for fun, but for survival.

A similar definition of its essence is reflected in Khlestakov's comparison with water, which takes the form of a vessel into which it was poured, which was accurately noticed by Yu. Mann. Thanks to the sincerity and candor with which Khlestakov plays the roles imposed on him, he easily gets out of any situation that could convict him of a lie. Marya Antonovna recalls that "Yuri Miloslavsky" is the work of Mr. Zagoskin, while the newly minted auditor claims that he is its author. What about Khlestakov? And on the go he comes up with an excuse for this discrepancy, explaining this by the presence of two works with the same title. Khlestakov once again admits inaccuracy in his simple lie, when, intoxicated with wine and his sudden success, he utters a remark: “When you run up the stairs to your fourth floor, you only say to the cook:“ On, Mavrushka, overcoat. But officials do not notice this oversight, they take it for a slip of the tongue. They encourage Khlestakov in his lies, thinking that by doing so they will recognize him. In their acceptance of the nonsense they invented for the truth, and the truth for a lie, lies the most comical (and tragic) part of the work.

The portrait of Khlestakov is created by the author with the help of the commentary given by him at the beginning of the comedy in “Remarks for the gentlemen of the actors”, the replicas of other characters and his own words. Thus, the reader is presented with the following image: a young man of about twenty-three, “somewhat stupid and, as they say, without a king in his head, is one of those people who are called empty in the offices ... His speech is jerky, and the words fly out of his mouth completely suddenly". Even his servant Osip does not consider his master a good man, but sees in him only a simple "elystratishka". When the Governor for the first time sees in front of him this nondescript short man, whom he would “press down with a fingernail”, he has a doubt that a real auditor is standing in front of him. But since, due to the haste of the officials’ reasoning, they decided that the auditor really appeared incognito in the city, since Khlestakov is still the only visitor, and he behaves strangely, the Governor and other officials do not pay attention to the discrepancy between appearance and the position he “occupies” . Thus, the image of Khlestakov is shown in detail on

background of city officials, which allows us to consider his personality also in comparison with other characters. His stupidity and emptiness is shown in comparison with the stupidity of officials, and it is still unknown which of them loses in this comparison.

The image of Khlestakov created by Gogol contributes to the penetration of mirage intrigue into the comedy, the meaning of which lies in depicting the officials chasing a mirage, in wasting their strength in vain. Thanks to the mirage intrigue, the demonic essence of Khlestakov is revealed. He, like a devil, takes on the form offered to him by the petitioner, and creates the illusion of fulfilling the request. Also, something mystical is seen in the unexpected appearance of Khlestakov and in his sudden departure - from nowhere to nowhere.

Khlestakov is a capacious and deep image, which contains a great human truth. The Khlestakovs have not yet hatched, and it is not for nothing that his name has become a household name. Much has already been said about the fact that Khlestakov, in fact, is an empty person. But how much interesting and instructive we take out of his image and how deeply he makes us think about ourselves! ..

Who is Khlestakov

The Inspector General is one of the first theatrical plays written by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. One of the central characters of the work is Khlestakov, a young man who found himself in the city of N on his way from St. Petersburg to the village to his father.

A brief description of Khlestakov from Gogol's The Inspector General can be made up of just two words: frivolous and irresponsible. All the money that his father sent him, he lost, lost in cards. In the tavern where Khlestakov lives with his servant Osip, he owes money for housing and food. Moreover, he is indignant that they do not want to feed him for free, as if everyone around him is obliged to support him.

As Gogol writes in a brief description in "Remarks for Messrs. Actors", Khlestakov is an empty person.

The role of Khlestakov in the play

In the course of the play, Khlestakov finds himself in a situation where he is mistaken for an inspector. Khlestakov was frightened at first, thinking that the mayor was going to put him in jail, but then, quickly orienting himself, used the situation to his advantage. Realizing that nothing threatens him so far and using the rank of honor on the part of the mayor and other characters, Khlestakov fishes out money from them and hides in an unknown direction. Without knowing it, Khlestakov plays the role of a scalpel that opened an abscess on the patient's body. All the dirty deeds that the officials in the city of N are doing suddenly come out. People who consider themselves the “elite” of the city begin to pour mud on each other. Although before the scene where everyone is bringing offerings to Khlestakov, everyone smiled sweetly and pretended that everything was fine.

Surname Khlestakov and his role in the play - is there a connection?

The surname Khlestakov is well suited to his role in the play, because with his deceit he seemed to “whip” all the characters on the cheeks. It is difficult to say whether Gogol connected Khlestakov's character in the comedy The Inspector General with his last name. But the meaning is very similar to this. Moreover, Khlestakov simply assumed the role imposed on him by those around him, and took the opportunity.

Khlestakov's relationship with the characters of the play

Depending on who he was with and under what circumstances, his attitude towards the heroes also changed. For example, with Osip Khlestakov - a gentleman, capricious, a little rude, behaves like a little unreasonable child. Although he scolds him at times, Khlestakov nevertheless listens to his opinion, it is thanks to the cunning and caution of the servant that Khlestakov manages to leave before being exposed.

With women, Khlestakov is a dandy from the capital, whispering compliments to any lady, regardless of age.

With Gorodnichiy and city officials - at first frightened, and then insolent visiting liar, pretending to be an important bird.

Khlestakov easily adapts to any situation and finds benefits for himself, as a result, getting "dry out of the water."

Khlestakov and modernity

The plot of the play surprisingly resonates with today. And now you can meet the servility described in the work. And the characterization of Khlestakov in the comedy "The Inspector General" is quite suitable for many people. After all, it often happens when a person, trying to appear more significant, boasts of acquaintances with celebrities or, adapting to the situation, lies and dodges.

Gogol seems to describe the events taking place at the present time. But when he wrote The Inspector General he was only twenty-seven years old. And this once again confirms that genius does not depend on age.

Artwork test

In his explanations for the actors, Gogol described him as follows: “A young man, about 23 years old, thin, thin; somewhat stupid and, as they say, without a king in his head ... ”Accidentally finding himself in a society of lies and exaggerated servility, Khlestakov felt quite comfortable in the Inspector General. For him, respect for ranks and lies are also a natural state, as for officials of a county town. True, his lie is special. Gogol warned: “Khlestakov does not cheat at all; he is not a liar by trade; he himself will forget that he is lying, and he himself almost believes in what he says. That is, a lie for him is not an exception, but the norm of life - he does not even notice it.

The climax of Gogol's play "The Inspector General" is the scene in which the drunken Khlestakov, having gone into a rage, talks about his life in St. Petersburg. The complete discrepancy between what Khlestakov tells about himself and what he really is, as well as the discrepancy between how he was in the county town and how the officials saw him, create a comic effect. It was he who highlighted the true face of both Khlestakov and the officials. And it turned out that in the main thing (in the ability to live a lie and in orientation to rank) they are very similar.

If the mayor sees himself in his dreams as a general who doesn’t care about anything, then Khlestakov even sees himself as a field marshal. The mayor dine "somewhere with the governor," and Khlestakov "on a friendly footing with Pushkin." Although their appearance is quite different. He is “thin” and “thin”, “a whistle”, as the deceived mayor called him, and almost all officials are fat, round. They are frozen in their habits, unwilling to change anything. He is in constant motion and ready to change depending on the situation. This is clearly seen in the first scenes of the comedy. At first, Khlestakov in the comedy "The Inspector General" is timid, fawning even before the tavern servant. But as soon as he noticed that they were afraid of him, he immediately turned into an important person even in his own eyes. And in the eyes of frightened officials, he had been in this rank even earlier.

Khlestakov deceived the mayor because ... he was not going to do this. Because he behaved cunningly, because he was ingenuous. Therefore, he got the better of a highly experienced and intelligent mayor, who was much dumber, smaller.

On superficial observation, it seems that in Gogol's comedy, the mayor and his company compete with Khlestakov in cunning, deceit, dexterity ... But in fact, there is no competition, since one of the parties - Khlestakov - simply evades the fight, not understanding neither the goals nor the intentions of their opponents. But by doing so, Khlestakov gives them the full opportunity to fight the ghost that they built in their imagination. And not only to fight, but even to be defeated by him.

The image of Khlestakov in The Government Inspector is Gogol's artistic discovery. Just like the derivative from his name - Khlestakovism. And the "prefabricated city" created by Gogol is an analogue of that big world in which everything is interconnected and mutually determined.