The image of Chichikov in the poem Dead Souls is a summary. Characteristics and image of Chichikov in the poem dead souls of Gogol essay

Chichikov's characterization is the topic of this article. What can be said about this hero from the work "Dead Souls"? Belinsky, a well-known Russian critic, noted in 1846 that, as an acquirer, Chichikov is no less, and perhaps more than Pechorin, a hero of our time. He can buy "dead souls", collect donations for various charitable institutions, purchase railroad shares. It doesn't matter what kind of activity people like him are engaged in. Their essence remains unchanged.

The author's characterization of Chichikov at the beginning of the work

It is indisputable that Chichikov is an immortal type. You can meet people like him everywhere. This hero belongs to all times and all countries, only takes on different forms, depending on time and place. In the poem "Dead Souls" the action begins with the fact that the reader gets acquainted with the main character. What is the characteristic of Chichikov? This is the "golden mean", neither this nor that. The author, describing him, notes that he is not a handsome man, but not a "bad-looking" person, not very thin, but not too fat, not old, but not young either. Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich - honorable collegiate adviser. Such is the characterization of Chichikov at the beginning of the work.

Visits made by Chichikov in the city

How does he begin his stay in the city? From numerous visits: to the prosecutor, vice-governor, governor, farmer, police chief, head of local state-owned factories, etc. Chichikov, behaving like a well-intentioned person, knew how to very skillfully flatter everyone in conversations with these rulers. So, for example, he praised the governor for the "velvet roads" in the province subject to him, and Chichikov said something flattering about the city guards to the chief of police. He mistakenly called the chairman of the chamber and the vice-governor twice "your excellency." Chichikov made a compliment to the governor's wife, which is decent for a middle-aged man who has not too low, but not too high rank. The citation characteristic of Chichikov will complement the image created by the author. Pavel Ivanovich called himself nothing more than an "insignificant worm", complaining that he had to experience a lot in his lifetime, endure for the truth in his service, make many enemies who even attempted on his life.

Ability to hold a conversation

The characterization of Chichikov ("Dead Souls") can be supplemented by his masterful ability to keep the conversation going. Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol writes that if it was about a horse farm, he spoke about it, but he could also make sensible remarks about good dogs. Moreover, Chichikov did this with "some sort of gravity," he spoke neither softly nor loudly, but exactly as he should, he knew how to behave well. As we see, he learned to wear a mask of imaginary decency and vulgarity masterfully. Under this guise of a completely decent, decent gentleman, the true characterization of Chichikov ("Dead Souls"), the content of his actions and thoughts, was hidden.

Author's attitude to Chichikov in the first chapter

The author in the first chapter only allegorically, indirectly expresses his attitude towards Chichikov and his actions. And this hero himself, talking about the world of thick and thin, hints at his true vision of the world around him. He says the fat ones do a better job than the "thin ones" who mostly do special errands and "wander around." The citation characteristic of Chichikov helps to better understand this image. The main character is referred by Gogol to the world of fat, firmly and securely sitting in their places. Confirming the appearance of who Chichikov seems to be, thus, the author is preparing his exposure, revealing the truth about him.

First successful deals

The deal with Manilov is the first success. It strengthens Pavel Ivanovich's confidence in the safety and ease of the scam he conceived. The hero, inspired by the first success, is in a hurry to make new deals. On the way to Sobakevich, Chichikov meets Korobochka, who showed him that the enterprise conceived by him requires caution and subtlety, and not just perseverance. This lesson, however, did not go to Chichikov's future. He hurries to Sobakevich, but unexpectedly meets Nozdryov and decides to go to him.

Chichikov at Nozdrev

Among the main properties of Nozdryov, almost the main one was the passion to "spoil his neighbor", sometimes without any reason. And Pavel Ivanovich involuntarily falls for this bait. Nozdryov finally reveals the true purpose of Chichikov's acquisition of "dead souls". This episode reveals the frivolity and weakness of the hero. Subsequently, of course, Chichikov scolded himself for acting carelessly, talking about such a delicate matter with Nozdryov. As we can see, purposefulness and perseverance in cases where they go too far, turn into a disadvantage.

Buying "dead souls" from Sobakevich

Chichikov finally arrives at Sobakevich's. An interesting characterization of Chichikov by other characters. They all have different characters, and they all relate to the main character in their own way. Sobakevich is a persistent and quirky person when it comes to his benefits. He guesses, most likely, why Chichikov needs "dead souls". Sobakevich godlessly bargains, besides, he also praises his dead peasants. He says that Yeremey Sorokoplekhin, who traded in Moscow, brought 500 rubles per quitrent. This is not like the peasants of some Plyushkin.

Comparative characteristics of Chichikov and Plyushkin

Let's compare these two characters. Comparative characteristics of Chichikov and Plyushkin are very interesting. After all, Pavel Ivanovich was a serving nobleman, and Plyushkin was a landowner. These are the two classes on which tsarist Russia of that time rested. Meanwhile, the lack of understanding of the need for daily work, the inability to do any useful thing makes these heroes related, leading them to a deplorable result. The characterization of Chichikov and Plyushkin is very unattractive. And this is the backbone of the state, the "tables of society"! Curious connections can be found in the work of a comparative description of Chichikov ...

Deal with Plushkin

The enterprise conceived by Chichikov ends with a deal with Plyushkin. With this landowner, even money comes out of the living circulation. He put them in one of the boxes, where, probably, they were destined to lie until his death. Chichikov is now on top. All papers are signed, and he turns into a "millionaire" in the eyes of the townsfolk. This is a magic word that opens all roads and affects both scoundrels and good people.

The real biography of Chichikov

Soon, however, Chichikov's triumph ends with the exposure of Nozdrev, who informed the authorities that he was trading in dead souls. Confusion and turmoil begin in the city, as well as in the mind of the reader. The author saved the true biography of his hero for the finale of the work, in which, finally, a complete and true characterization of Chichikov in the poem "Dead Souls" is given. Throughout its entire length, Pavel Ivanovich seemed virtuous and decent, but under this guise, as it turned out, a completely different essence was hidden. The characterization of Chichikov in the poem "Dead Souls", given by the author in the final, is as follows.

It turned out that this was the son of a half-impoverished nobleman, who did not even look like his mother or father. As a child, he had no friends or comrades. And so the father one fine day decided to send the child to the city school. During parting with him there were no tears, but Chichikov was given one smart and important instruction: to study, not to fool, not to hang out, to please the bosses and teachers, to save a penny most of all, since this thing is the most reliable thing in the world.

The unsociable and lonely Pavlusha accepted this instruction with all his heart and was guided by it all his life. He quickly grasped the spirit of the authorities in the classrooms of the school and understood what the “correct” behavior should be. Chichikov sat quietly in class, and as a result, not possessing special talents and abilities, he received a certificate at graduation, as well as a special book for trustworthy behavior and exemplary diligence. After graduating from college, Pavlusha plunged into reality: his father died, leaving him as a legacy only 4 jerseys, irretrievably worn out, 2 old frock coats and a small amount of money.

At the same time, which is remarkable, another event occurs that reveals the true qualities of Chichikov, the future swindler. So fond of a humble student, the teacher was fired from the school. He disappeared in a forgotten kennel without a piece of bread. Former arrogant and recalcitrant students raised money for him, and only Pavel Ivanovich limited himself to a penny, while citing his extreme need.

The means by which Chichikov was promoted

Chichikov, it should be noted, was not stingy. However, he imagined a future life with prosperity and in all allowances: a well-arranged house, carriages, delicious meals and expensive entertainment. For this, Pavel Ivanovich agreed to starve and selflessly engage in service. He soon realized that honest work would not bring him what he wanted. And Chichikov begins, looking for new opportunities to improve his position, to take care of his boss's daughter. When he finally gets a promotion, he completely forgets about this family. Scams, bribes - this is the path Pavlusha took. He gradually achieves some visible well-being. But now, in the place of his former boss, they appoint a military, strict man, to whom Chichikov could not ingratiate himself. And he is forced to look for other ways to arrange his well-being.

How Pavel Ivanovich "suffered in the service"

The protagonist of the poem goes to another city. Here, by a lucky chance, he becomes a customs official and begins to conduct "commercial" relations with smugglers. This criminal conspiracy was revealed after some time, and all those responsible for it, including Chichikov, were brought to justice. This is how, in reality, Pavel Ivanovich "suffered in the service." Chichikov, taking care of his offspring, decides to commit another scam, which Gogol describes in detail in the poem Dead Souls.

Chichikov - the hero of our time

So, Chichikov, who was brought face to face with the usual, traditional order of things, contributes by his actions to the destruction of the existing order. He lays the foundation for the new. Therefore, we can say in this sense that Chichikov is rightfully the hero of our time.

The characterization of the hero of the work "Dead Souls" (Chichikov) was presented in this article. Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol wrote the poem we are interested in in 1842. In it, he was able to talentedly and eloquently depict the perniciousness of the serfdom that existed at that time, its horrific consequences for the entire Russian society. Not just individual people degenerate - the people and the whole state are destroyed along with it. It can be said with certainty that the anti-serf works of Nikolai Vasilyevich played a certain role in bringing about the abolition in our country.

>Characteristics of heroes Dead Souls

Characteristics of the hero Chichikov

Chichikov Pavel Ivanovich - the main character of N.V. Gogol's work "Dead Souls", a former official, and now a schemer. He owns the idea of ​​a scam with the dead souls of peasants. This character is present in all chapters. He travels all the time in Russia, gets acquainted with wealthy landowners and officials, enters into their confidence, and then tries to pull off all sorts of frauds. Chichikov is a new type of adventurer-inventor in Russian literature. The author himself partially justifies Chichikov's actions, as he sees that he is not hopeless.

Outwardly, this character is not bad. He is not very fat, but not thin, does not look old, but no longer young. The main features of the hero are mediocrity and enterprise. His averageness is manifested not only in appearance, but also in the manner of communicating. He always says “neither loudly nor quietly, but exactly as it should”, he knows how to find an approach to everyone, everywhere he is known as “his own person”. There is a little bit of everything in Chichikovo. He is enterprising, but does not display the brusque businesslike nature of Sobakevich. He does not have the daydreaming of Manilov, the innocence of Korobochka and the riotousness of Nozdryov. This person is active and active, he saves every penny, he does not even waste the received inheritance, but increases it. At the same time, he is not prone to unbridled greed like Plyushkin. Money for Chichikov is not a goal, but a means. He just wants to secure a decent existence for himself.

Little is known about the hero's childhood and youth. Parents were nobles. His father urged him to hang out only with the rich and always please his superiors. He did not say anything about such things as a sense of duty, honor and dignity, so Pavel grew up like that. He himself quickly realized that such high values ​​hinder the achievement of his cherished goal, which is why he fought his way through his own efforts, drowning out the voice of conscience. At school, he was a diligent student, but without talents. The only thing he knew how to do was to sell something to his comrades and show tricks for money. After graduation, he entered the service in the Treasury. Then he changed more than one job and wanted to cash in everywhere. When once again it was necessary to start all over again, he came up with the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bdead souls. Despite the fact that Chichikov is a rogue and a swindler, the stubbornness and ingenuity of the hero do not go unnoticed.

Article menu:

We often say that happiness is not in money, but at the same time we always note that a person with money is in a better position, can afford more than a poor person. A lot of works of art on the theme of a wedding with an unloved, but rich, or the resulting injustice associated with bribery leads to another well-known phrase: money rules the world. Perhaps that is why a person with little capital often seeks to improve his financial situation at any cost. Not always these methods and methods are legal, they often contradict the principles of morality. N. Gogol tells about one of these acts in the poem "Dead Souls".

Who is Chichikov and why does he come to the city of N

The protagonist of the story is a retired official Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. He is “not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; one cannot say that he is old, but it is not so that he is too young. He considers himself a man of pleasant appearance, he especially liked his face "which he sincerely loved and in which, as it seems, he found the chin most attractive of all, for he very often boasted of it before one of his friends."

This man travels through the villages of Russia, but his goal is by no means as noble as it seems at first glance. Pavel Ivanovich buys "dead souls", that is, documents for the right to own people who have died, but have not yet been included in the lists of the dead. The census of peasants was carried out every few years, so these very “dead souls” hung up and were documented as living. They represented a lot of trouble and waste, since it was necessary to make payments for them until the next census (revision tales).

Chichikov's offer to sell these people to the landowners sounds more than tempting. Many find the subject of purchase very strange, it sounds suspicious, but the desire to get rid of the "dead souls" takes its toll - one by one the landowners agree to the sale (only Nozdrev was an exception). But why does Chichikov need "dead souls"? He himself says this about it: “Yes, if I buy all these who have died out, have not yet filed new revision tales, get them, let’s say, a thousand, yes, let’s say, the board of trustees will give two hundred rubles per capita: that’s two hundred thousand capital ". In other words, Pavel Ivanovich plans to resell his "dead souls", passing them off as living people. Of course, it is impossible to sell serfs without land, but he finds a way out here too - buying land in a remote place, "for a penny." Naturally, such a plan is not dictated by good living conditions and financial situation, but, whatever one may say, this is a dishonorable act.

Surname Meaning

It is difficult to judge unequivocally about the etymology of the name of Pavel Ivanovich. It is not as prosaic as the names of other characters in the poem, but the very fact that the names of other characters are their characteristics (pay attention to moral or physical flaws) suggests that there should be a similar situation with Chichikov.

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

Personality and character

Arriving in the city of N, Pavel Ivanovich gets acquainted with the local landowners, the governor. He makes a good impression on them. This beginning of a trusting relationship contributed to Chichikov's further purchases - they spoke of him as a man of high morals and excellent education - such a person cannot be a swindler and a deceiver. But, as it turned out, it was just a tactical move, allowing you to cleverly deceive the landowners.

The first thing that surprises in Chichikov is his attitude to hygiene. For many of his new acquaintances, this has become a sign of a person from high society. Pavel Ivanovich “woke up very early in the morning, washed himself, dried himself from head to toe with a wet sponge, which was done only on Sundays.” He "rubbed both cheeks with soap for an extremely long time", when he washed himself, "plucked out two hairs that had come out of his nose." As a result, the people around decided that “the newcomer turned out to be such attentiveness to the toilet, which is not even seen everywhere.”

Chichikov is a sucker. “In conversations with these rulers, he very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone.” At the same time, he tried not to tell anything specific about himself, to manage with general phrases, those present thought that he was doing this because of modesty.

In addition, the phrase “he is not a meaningful worm of this world and is not worthy of being cared for a lot, that he experienced a lot in his lifetime, suffered in the service of truth, had many enemies who even attempted on his life, and that now, wishing calm down, looking for a place to finally choose a place to live ”caused a certain feeling of pity for Chichikov among those around him.

Soon, all new acquaintances began to speak flatteringly about him, they tried to please "such a pleasant, educated guest."

Manilov, characterizing Chichikov, claimed that "he is ready to vouch, as for himself, that he would sacrifice all his estate in order to have a hundredth of the qualities of Pavel Ivanovich."

“The governor said about him that he was a well-intentioned person; the prosecutor - that he is a good person; the gendarmerie colonel said that he was a learned man; the chairman of the chamber - that he is a knowledgeable and respectable person; police chief - that he is a respectable and amiable person; the police chief's wife - that he is the most amiable and courteous person.

As you can see, Pavel Ivanovich managed to infiltrate the confidence of the landowners and the governor in the best possible way.

He managed to keep a fine line and not go too far with flattery and praise towards the landlords - his lies and sycophancy were sweet, but not so much that the lies were conspicuous. Pavel Ivanovich knows how not only to present himself in society, but also has the talent to convince people. Not all landowners agreed to say goodbye to their "dead souls" without question. Many, like Korobochka, were very doubtful about the legality of such a sale. Pavel Ivanovich manages to achieve his goal and convince that such a sale is not unusual.

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

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

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

Having acquired serfs, Pavel Ivanovich feels awkward and anxious, but these are not pangs of conscience - he wants to quickly finish the job and is afraid that something might go wrong “still, the thought came: that the souls are not quite real and that in such cases such a burden is always needed quickly from the shoulders.

However, his deceit was revealed - Chichikov in an instant turns from an object of worship and a desired guest into an object of ridicule and rumors, he is not allowed into the governor's house. “Yes, it’s just you alone who are not ordered to let in, everyone else is allowed,” the doorman tells him.

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

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

He outlined in particular detail this image, which, as they say, was to occupy a prominent role in all three parts of Dead Souls.

Chichikov - the main character of Gogol's "Dead Souls"

Describing his heroes, Gogol almost always gives us, more or less, a detailed history of their personality. This story, in his eyes, explains a lot in the character of the hero, and makes him treat a lot more condescendingly. That is why he talks in detail about Chichikov's childhood and upbringing. Hopeless, joyless was this childhood: poverty, lack of love and affection, the immorality of a callous, unloving father, external and internal dirt - this is the environment in which he grew up, loved by no one, needed by no one.

But fate endowed Chichikov with iron energy and the desire to arrange his life “more decently” than his father, a loser, unscrupulous both in the moral and in the physical sense. This "dissatisfaction with reality" inspired little Chichikov's energy. From early encounters with poverty and hunger, from his father’s complaints about lack of money, from his admonition: “to save money”, since you can rely on only one “money” in life, the boy made the conviction that money is the basis of earthly happiness. That is why the well-being of life began to appear to the hero of "Dead Souls" as something that can be obtained with money - a well-fed, luxurious life, comfort ...

And so Chichikov began to "invent" and "acquire": penny by penny he saved up money, dodging in every possible way in the company of his comrades, revealing extraordinary perseverance. Even at school, he began to "make a career", imitating the tastes of the teacher. Even at school, he developed the talent to peer into human weaknesses, skillfully play on them, slowly and stubbornly. The ability to adapt to a person helped the main character of "Dead Souls" in the service, but it also developed in Chichikov the desire to distinguish "necessary" people from "unnecessary". That is why he reacted coldly to the sad fate of his former teacher, that is why he did not have any feelings of gratitude towards the old farmer who helped him get a job. The feeling of gratitude is unprofitable - it requires "something" to give up, "something" to give up, and this was not included in the calculations of the "acquirer" Chichikov.

Money, as the only and main goal of life, is an impure goal, and the paths to it are impure, and Chichikov went to this goal by the road of fraud and deceit, without losing heart, struggling with failures ... Meanwhile, having entered the wide expanse of life, he expanded and deepened his ideal. The picture of a well-fed, luxurious life was replaced by another - he began to dream of a calm, clean family life, in the company of his wife and children. It was warm and cozy for him when he gave himself up to this dream. The hero of "Dead Souls" pictured in his mind a house where complete contentment reigns, where he is an exemplary husband, a respected father and a respected citizen of his native land. It seemed to Chichikov that when his dreams came true, he would forget all the past - his dirty, bleak and hungry childhood and the thorny road marked by fraud and roguery. It seemed to him that he would then give up cheating, “correct himself” and leave an “honest name” to his children. If earlier, cheating, he justified himself with the consciousness that "everyone does it," now a new justification has been added: "the end justifies the means."

Chichikov's ideals became wider, but the paths to them remained dirty, and he became more and more dirty. And, in the end, he himself had to admit that "roguishness" had become his habit, his second nature. “No more disgust from vice! he complains to Murazov in the second part of Dead Souls. - Nature has become coarse; there is no love for goodness, no such desire to strive for goodness, as there is for obtaining property!” Several times Chichikov succeeded in erecting the shaky edifice of his well-being on the basis of fraudulent tricks of all kinds; several times he was close to realizing his ideals, and each time everything collapsed, he had to build everything from the beginning.

Willpower and mind Chichikov

The main character of "Dead Souls" is distinguished by considerable willpower. “Your purpose is to be a great man,” Murazov tells him, reproaching him for the fact that the great strength of his soul, his energy, was always directed towards an unclean goal. Gogol also speaks about Chichikov's energy more than once in "Dead Souls", at least, telling his laborious "odyssey", when he had to arrange his life all over again. In addition to willpower, Chichikov is endowed with a great mind, not only a practical one - ingenuity, cunning and resourcefulness, but also that contemplative, "philosophical" mind that puts him above all other heroes of the poem.

No wonder Gogol puts into his head deep reflections on the fate of the Russian people (reading the list of bought peasants). In addition, Chichikov sensibly talks about the vulgarity of the life of a prosecutor, about the upbringing that spoils a girl in Russia. It is not for nothing that he understands not only human weaknesses, but also virtues; it is not for nothing that when confronted with honest people (Governor-General, Murazov), he is able, precisely at the moment of his humiliation, to rise morally. Not only is he a dodgy and crafty rogue in their society, but a fallen man who understands the depth and shame of his fall. “He did not respect a single person for his intelligence,” says Gogol, until fate brought him together (in the second volume) with Kostanzhoglo, Murazov, and others. He did not respect because he himself was smarter than everyone he had met before.

In the practical rogue hero of Dead Souls, Gogol noted another characteristic feature - a penchant for poetry, for dreaminess. Chichikov’s momentary infatuation with a young lady he met on the way, pure infatuation with the governor’s daughter, his mood in the Platonovs’ house, enjoyment in the evening at the Petukh estate, in the spring in the village of Tentetnikova, his very dreams of quiet, handsome family happiness are full of real poetry ...

At the same time, Chichikov has a very high opinion of himself: he respects himself for his energy, for his mind, for his ability to live. He loves himself for his "pure dreams", which he zealously serves; he loves himself for his good looks, for his elegant suit, for his noble manners - in a word, for the fact that, having left the dirty hole, from the dirty society of his father, he managed to become, in his opinion, a "decent person".

Chichikov in society

The image of Chichikov in Gogol immediately becomes stale when he enters the society of the vulgar. This is because he always adapts to the people with whom he deals: he even speaks and behaves differently in the company of Manilov, Sobakevich and Korobochka. With the first, Chichikov is sentimental, daydreaming, rubbing himself into his sensitive heart; with the second, he is businesslike, and responds to the distrust of the owner with the same distrust (the scene with money and a receipt); he shouts at the harmless stupid Box, promises her "the devil." When Chichikov finds himself in "society", he imitates the "tone" of this society, adopts those manners that are considered "decent" here - and therefore for the crowd he will always be "decent", "well-intentioned", "pleasant" ... He will not go, like Chatsky in Griboyedov's Woe from Wit, against the whole of Moscow - Molchalin's policy is more convenient and easier for him.

Chichikov understands people and knows how to make a favorable impression - in the second part of "Dead Souls" he charms even the smart Costanjoglo, the incredulous brother Platonov, in his favor. In addition, he is cautious - even when drunk, he knows how to keep his tongue from excessive talkativeness: caution, obviously, has taught him life. However, sometimes Chichikov is mistaken: so he was mistaken in Nozdryov, he was mistaken with Korobochka. But this mistake is explained by the fact that these two characters in Dead Souls also have such peculiar characters that even Chichikov did not immediately comprehend.

The complexity and inconsistency of Chichikov's nature

The passion for “acquisition” left a certain stamp of “pettiness” on the main character of “Dead Souls” - he even collects old posters in his box - a trait worthy of Plyushkin. The device of his casket, with drawers and secret compartments, resembles a chest of drawers of the Box, with its pouches for dimes, two kopecks. At school, Chichikov saved up money using the Korobochka method. Chichikov's pettiness is also expressed in his curiosity: he always asks for sex, servants, collects all kinds of information "just in case" - just as Plyushkin collected various items in his office.

Not without irony, Gogol casually notes in "Dead Souls" another feature of Chichikov - his "compassion" - he always gave pennies to the poor. But this compassion is "penny" - it is far from the ability of self-sacrifice, renunciation of any benefits in favor of the neighbor. Chichikov has no love for his neighbor at all. He did not rise further than the ideals of family love, essentially selfish.

If Gogol really wanted to show the revival of a vicious person to goodness on Chichikovo, then we must admit that the choice of the hero of Dead Souls was made by him successfully. The complex nature of Chichikov is rich in a wide variety of qualities. His amazing energy was combined with intelligence, common sense, cunning, great flexibility and tirelessness.

But, besides all this, Gogol noted in him a "man-inventor", capable of inventing something "new", to tell a society mired in inertia, his new, albeit criminal, word. Chichikov has no inertia - his mind is free and his fantasy is winged. But all these qualities are, so to speak, "neutral" - they can be equally directed to evil and good. But Gogol emphasized the presence of consciousness in the soul of this hero of Dead Souls - Chichikov knows that he is doing evil, but consoles himself with the thought that "doing evil" in his life is only a "transitional moment." In this ability to distinguish between "good" and "evil" lies the source of Chichikov's revival. It is all the easier for him because, in essence, his life ideals (“pure family happiness”) were, if not especially high, then, nevertheless, impeccable. In addition, in his soul there are soft elements of poetry and dreaminess. Probably, on all these positive qualities of Chichikov, Gogol wished in further development of the action of "Dead Souls" build his revival.

The image of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov is perhaps the most successful of Gogol's caricatures. The life story of only this character, who plays the main role in the poem "Dead Souls", is revealed by the author in great detail. To engage in such an artistic and comprehensive study of the writer was forced by the novelty of the character, for which he undertook.

Many features of the landowners of that time are combined by Pavel Ivanovich of the hero would not be complete without a description in the eleventh chapter of the conditions in which his formation took place.

As a legacy from an impoverished nobleman, Pavel Ivanovich inherited some copper and instructions to study well and please everyone, and save and save money. The absence of lofty words about debt in the will, he took literally. And life itself soon confirmed that these concepts do not lead to anything good (in his understanding). At the school, Pavlusha's knowledge, behavior, and respect caused only approval and praise from the teachers, who set the boy as an example to other students. Having entered the state chamber after studying, he continues to please his boss, to show signs of attention to his daughter. The same behavior is typical for him in any situation. Chichikov quickly realized: in order to please a person, you need to talk with him about his interests, about topics close to him. Such behavior helps him to remain his own person in any society. Gradually, Pavel Ivanovich drowns out the still living soul, tries not to hear the quiet voice of conscience, builds his happiness on someone else's misfortune. And all this for their own benefit. The tools that Chichikov skillfully and actively uses are fraud and deceit, theft from the treasury, insult, bribery. Constant accumulation, acquisition become the meaning of life for the protagonist. And at the same time, Chichikov needs money not for their own sake. They serve as a means to achieve a good, prosperous life for his family. The image of Chichikov differs sharply from other characters in his determination and strength of character. He achieves his goal by any means, while showing extraordinary resourcefulness, resourcefulness, and perseverance.

Chichikov in the poem "Dead Souls" is not like everyone else in his activity, activity, enterprise. He is not characterized by the wandering in the clouds of Manilov and the naivete of Korobochka. He cannot be compared with the miser Plyushkin, but the careless waste of Nozdryov is also not for him. The enterprise of this hero is far from the efficiency of Sobakevich. All these qualities testify to the clear superiority of Pavel Ivanovich over other characters in the poem.

The image of Chichikov is incredibly multifaceted. It is very difficult to immediately unravel people like him, to understand what they really are. Chichikov managed to please most of the inhabitants of the city as soon as he appeared in it. He managed to present himself as a secular, developed and decent person. During the conversation, he finds an individual key to everyone in whom he is interested. His ostentatious benevolence is only a means to profitably use the high disposition of the right people. It costs nothing for Chichikov to reincarnate, change his behavior and at the same time not forget about his own goals. His ability to adapt to everyone is simply amazing. When Pavel Ivanovich bargains with Manilov, he shows delicacy, sensitivity and courtesy. But with Korobochka, on the contrary, he behaves assertively, rudely, impatiently. He understands that it is very easy to persuade Plyushkin, that it is necessary to speak with Sobakevich in a businesslike manner. The energy of the protagonist is tireless, but it is directed to low deeds.

The image of Chichikov is an example of a merchant and an entrepreneur, a man of a new type, whom Gogol defined as a vile, vile, "dead soul."