Short. The purpose of ND filters is to reduce the amount of light entering the...
"Dead Souls" is a complex work with multi-level text, where even experienced readers can get lost. Therefore, a brief retelling of Gogol's poem chapter by chapter, as well as her, which will help students to penetrate the author's large-scale intentions, will not hurt anyone.
Comments on the entire text or image of a particular class, he asks to be sent to him personally, for which he will be grateful.
Chapter one
The chaise of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov (here is his) - a collegiate adviser - accompanied by the servants of Selifan and Petrushka, calls into the city of NN. Chichikov's description is quite typical: he is not handsome, but not bad-looking, not thin, but not fat, not young, but not old either.
Chichikov, showing masterful hypocrisy and the ability to find an approach to everyone, gets acquainted with all the important officials and makes a good impression on them. At the governor's, he meets the landowners Manilov and Sobakevich, and at the police chief, Nozdryov. All he undertakes to pay a visit.
Chapter Two
The author writes about Chichikov's servants: Petrushka and the drinking coachman Selifan. Pavel Ivanovich goes to Manilov (here is him), to the village of Manilovka. In the manners and portrait of the landowner, everything was too sugary, he thinks only about abstract things, he can’t finish reading one book and dreams of building a stone bridge, but only in words.
Manilov lives here with his wife and two children, whose names are Alkid and Themistoclus. Chichikov says that he wants to buy "dead souls" from him - dead peasants who are still on the revision lists. He refers to the desire to save the newfound friend from paying taxes. The landowner, after a short fright, gladly agrees to give them to the guest for free. Pavel Ivanovich hurriedly leaves him and goes to Sobakevich, satisfied with the successful start of his enterprise.
Chapter Three
On the way to Sobakevich's house, due to the inattention of the coachman Selifan, the britzka drives far from the right road and gets into an accident. Chichikov is forced to ask for a lodging for the night with the landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka (here is her).
The old woman is too frugal, incredibly stupid, but very successful. Order reigns on her estate, she conducts business with many merchants. The widow keeps all her old things and receives the guest with suspicion. In the morning Chichikov tried to talk about "dead souls," but for a long time Nastasya Petrovna could not understand how the dead could be traded. Finally, after a small scandal, an irritated official makes a deal and sets off on a repaired chaise.
Chapter Four
Chichikov enters a tavern, where he meets the landowner Nozdrev (here he is). He is an avid gambler, a fan of inventing tall tales, a reveler and a talker.
Nozdryov calls Chichikov to his estate. Pavel Ivanovich asks him about "dead souls", but the landowner inquires about the purpose of such an unusual purchase. He offers the hero to buy other expensive goods along with the souls, but everything ends in a quarrel.
The next morning, the gambling Nozdryov invites the guest to play checkers: the prize is “dead souls”. Chichikov notices the landowner's fraud, after which he runs away from the danger of a fight, thanks to the police captain who has entered.
Chapter Five
Chichikov's chaise runs over the carriage, causing a slight delay. A pretty girl, noticed by Pavel Ivanovich, will later turn out to be the governor's daughter. The hero drives up to the huge village of Sobakevich (here is his), everything in his house is of impressive size, like the owner himself, whom the author compares with a clumsy bear. The detail is especially characteristic: a massive, roughly knocked together table, which reflects the disposition of the owner.
The landowner speaks rudely of everyone whom Chichikov speaks of, recalling Plyushkin, whose serfs endlessly die because of the stinginess of the owner. Sobakevich calmly sets a high price for the dead peasants, he himself begins to talk about the sale. After much bargaining, Chichikov manages to buy a few souls. The chaise goes to the landowner Plyushkin.
Chapter six
The village of Plyushkina has a miserable appearance: the windows are without glass, the gardens are abandoned, the houses are overgrown with mold. Chichikov takes the owner for an old housekeeper. Plyushkin (here he is), looking like a beggar, escorts the guest to a dusty house.
This is the only landowner whose past the author tells about. The master's wife and youngest daughter died, the rest of the children left him. The house was empty, and Plyushkin gradually sank to such a miserable state. He is glad to get rid of the dead peasants so as not to pay taxes for them, and happily sells them to Chichikov at a low price. Pavel Ivanovich goes back to NN.
Chapter Seven
Chichikov, on the way, examines the collected records and notices the variety of names of the dead peasants. He meets Manilov and Sobakevich.
The chairman of the chamber quickly draws up documents. Chichikov reports that he bought serfs for withdrawal to the Kherson province. Officials celebrate the success of Pavel Ivanovich.
Chapter Eight
Chichikov's huge acquisitions become known throughout the city. Various rumors are spreading. Pavel Ivanovich finds an anonymous letter of love content.
At the ball at the governor's, he meets a girl whom he saw on the way to Sobakevich. He is fond of the governor's daughter, forgetting about other ladies.
The sudden appearance of a drunken Nozdryov almost disrupts Chichikov's plan: the landowner begins to tell everyone how the traveler bought dead peasants from him. He is taken out of the hall, after which Chichikov leaves the ball. At the same time, Korobochka goes to find out from her friends whether her guest has set the right price for "dead souls".
Chapter Nine
Friends Anna Grigoryevna and Sofya Ivanovna gossip about a visiting official: they think that Chichikov is acquiring "dead souls" in order to please the governor's daughter or kidnap her, in which Nozdryov can become his accomplice.
The landlords are afraid of punishment for the scam, so they keep the deal a secret. Chichikov is not invited to dinners. Everyone in the city is busy with the news that a counterfeiter and a robber are hiding somewhere in the province. Suspicion immediately falls on the buyer of dead souls.
Chapter Ten
The police chief is debating who Pavel Ivanovich is. Some people think he is Napoleon. The postmaster is sure that this is none other than Captain Kopeikin, and tells his story.
When Captain Kopeikin fought in 1812, he lost his leg and arm. He came to St. Petersburg to ask for help from the governor, but the meeting was postponed several times. The soldier soon ran out of money. As a result, he is advised to return home and wait for the help of the sovereign. Shortly after his departure, robbers appeared in the Ryazan forests, whose chieftain, by all indications, is Captain Kopeikin.
But Chichikov has all the arms and legs, so everyone understands that this version is wrong. Because of the excitement, the prosecutor dies, Chichikov has a cold for the third day and does not leave the house. When he recovers, he is denied admission to the governor, and others treat him the same way. Nozdryov tells him about the rumors, praises him for the idea of kidnapping the governor's daughter and offers his help. The hero understands that he must urgently run away from the city.
Chapter Eleven
In the morning, after some delays in preparations, Chichikov sets off. He sees the prosecutor being buried. Pavel Ivanovich leaves the city.
The author tells about Chichikov's past. He was born into a noble family. His father often reminded his son of the need to please everyone and take care of every penny. At the school, Pavlush already knew how to earn money, for example, by selling pies and showing performances of a trained mouse for a fee.
Then he began to serve in the Treasury. Pavel Ivanovich made his way to a high position by announcing to the old official that he was going to marry his daughter. In all positions, Chichikov used his official position, which is why he once got on trial for a smuggling case.
One day, Pavel Ivanovich got excited about the idea of buying "dead souls" in order to ask Kherson province for their placement. Then he could get a lot of money on the security of non-existent people and make himself a big fortune.
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DEAD SOULS
A small chaise with a middle-aged gentleman of good appearance, not fat, but not thin, drove into the provincial town of NN. The arrival made no impression on the inhabitants of the city. The visitor stopped at a local tavern. During dinner, a new visitor asked the servant in the most detailed way, who used to run this institution, and who now, how much income and what kind of owner. Then the visitor found out who was the governor in the city, who was the chairman of the chamber, who was the prosecutor, that is, "he did not miss a single significant official."
In addition to the city authorities, the visitor was interested in all the large landowners, as well as the general state of the region: whether there were any epidemics in the province or general famine. After dinner and a long rest, the gentleman wrote down his rank, first and last name on a piece of paper to report to the police. Going down the stairs, the floorman read: "Collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, landowner, according to his own needs."
The next day Chichikov devoted visits to all city officials. He testified his respect even to the inspector of the medical board and the city architect.
Pavel Ivanovich showed himself to be a good psychologist, since in almost every house he left the most favorable impressions about himself - "he was very skillfully able to flatter everyone." At the same time, Chichikov avoided talking about himself, but if the conversation turned to his person, he got off with general phrases and somewhat bookish turns. The visitor began to receive invitations to the houses of officials. The first was an invitation to the governor. Getting ready, Chichikov very carefully put himself in order.
During the reception, the guest of the city managed to show himself to be a skillful interlocutor, he successfully made a compliment to the governor's wife.
The male society was divided into two parts. The thin men followed the ladies and danced, while the thick men mostly concentrated at the gaming tables. Chichikov joined the latter. Here he met most of his old acquaintances. Pavel Ivanovich also met the wealthy landowners Manilov and Sobakevich, about whom he immediately made inquiries from the chairman and postmaster. Chichikov quickly charmed both and received two invitations to visit.
The next day the newcomer went to the chief of police, where from three o'clock in the afternoon they played whist until two in the morning. There Chichikov met Nozdryov, "a broken fellow, whom you began to say to him after three or four words." In turn, Chichikov visited all the officials, and a good opinion developed about him in the city. He could show a secular person in any situation. Whatever the conversation turned to, Chichikov was able to support it. Moreover, "he knew how to clothe all this with some degree, he knew how to behave well."
Everyone was pleased with the arrival of a decent person. Even Sobakevich, who in general was rarely satisfied with his surroundings, recognized Pavel Ivanovich as "a most pleasant person." This opinion in the city persisted until one strange circumstance led the inhabitants of the city of NN into bewilderment.
Chapter 11
In the morning it turned out that there was no way to leave immediately, since the horses were not shod, and the tires needed to be changed at the wheel. Chichikov, beside himself with indignation, ordered Selifan to immediately find the craftsmen so that all the work would be done in two hours. Finally, after five hours, Pavel Ivanovich was able to leave the city. He crossed himself and ordered to drive.
Further, the author tells about the life of Chichikov. His parents were from ruined nobles. As soon as the boy grew up a little, his sick father began to force him to rewrite various instructions. As soon as the child was distracted, long fingers twisted the ear painfully. The time came, and Pavlusha was sent to the city, to the school. Before leaving, the father gave the following instruction to his son: “... study, do not be foolish and do not hang out, but most of all please teachers and bosses. If you please the bosses, then, although you won’t succeed in science, and God didn’t give you talent, you will go all the way and get ahead of everyone. Do not hang out with your comrades... hang out with those who are richer, so that on occasion they can be useful to you. Do not treat or treat anyone ... take care and save a penny. You will do everything, you will break everything in the world with a penny. Pavlusha diligently followed his father's instructions. In the classes, he distinguished himself more by diligence than by his ability in the sciences. He quickly recognized the teacher's penchant for obedient students and in every possible way pleased him. As a result, he graduated from college with a commendable sheet. Subsequently, when this teacher fell ill, Chichikov spared him money for medicines.
After graduating from school, Chichikov with great difficulty got a job in the Treasury Chamber in a miserable place. However, he tried so hard that he entered the favor of his boss and even became the bridegroom of his daughter. Pretty soon the old clerk did his best, and Pavel Ivanovich himself sat down as a clerk in the vacant position. The very next day Chichikov left his fiancee. Gradually he became a prominent person. Even the persecution of all sorts of bribes in the office, he turned to his advantage. From now on, only secretaries and clerks took bribes, they shared them with their superiors.
As a result, it was the lower officials who turned out to be fraudsters. Chichikov nailed himself to some architectural commission and did not live in poverty until the general was replaced.
The new boss did not like Chichikov at all, so he was soon left without a job and his savings. After long ordeals, our hero got a job at the customs, where he proved himself to be an excellent worker. Having become a boss, Chichikov began to turn frauds, as a result of which he turned out to be the owner of a fairly decent capital. However, he quarreled with his accomplice and again lost almost everything. Having become an attorney, Chichikov quite by accident found out that even the dead, however, the peasants who were considered alive according to the revision tales, could be placed in the board of trustees, while receiving considerable capital that could work for their master. Pavel Ivanovich began to zealously put his dream into practice.
To the estate of General Betrishchev. Chichikov ordered to report on himself and was led to Betrishchev's office. The general struck him with his majestic appearance, courageous face and thick neck - he was one of those picture generals with whom the famous 12th year was so rich.
General Betrishchev included a lot of advantages and a lot of shortcomings. In decisive moments, he could show generosity, courage, generosity, intelligence, but combined with this whims, ambition and pride. He was a champion of enlightenment and liked to show off his knowledge of what others did not know, but he did not like people who knew something that he did not know. Brought up by a semi-foreign upbringing, he wanted to play at the same time the role of a Russian master. From his voice to the slightest movement, everything in him was domineering, commanding, inspiring, if not respect, then at least timidity.
Gogol. Dead Souls. Volume 2, chapter 2. audiobook
Chichikov immediately understood what kind of person he was. Tilting his head respectfully to one side and spreading his arms out to the side, as if preparing to lift the tray of cups with them, he bent down in front of the general with amazing deftness and said: “Having respect for the valor of men who saved the fatherland on the battlefield, I considered it a duty to introduce myself personally to Your Excellency.”
The General liked it. He immediately got into a conversation with Chichikov and asked where he served. Chichikov replied that his service flowed in different places, but everywhere - like a ship among the waves, from the intrigues of numerous enemies who even attempted on his life. "Now I'm staying with your neighbor Tentetnikov, who is very repentant of his former quarrel with your excellency, for he knows how to appreciate the husbands who saved the fatherland."
– Yes, what is he? Why, I'm not angry! – said the relenting general.
Chichikov immediately told him that Tentetnikov was writing a serious essay.
- What is it?
Chichikov hesitated, not knowing what to answer, and suddenly said:
- The story of the generals for 12 years, Your Excellency.
Mentally, at the same time, he almost spat and said to himself: “Lord, what kind of nonsense I am talking about!” But Betrishchev immediately perked up and began to wonder:
- Why doesn't Tentetnikov come to me, I could give him a lot of interesting materials.
Just then the door opened and Ulinka came in, striking Chichikov with her good looks and beauty.
- I recommend you my darling! the general said. - Ulinka, Pavel Ivanovich just informed me that our neighbor Tentetnikov is not at all such a stupid person as we thought. He deals with the history of the generals of the twelfth year.
Ulinka said that she had not considered Tentetnikov stupid before. She went to her room, and the general asked Chichikov:
- After all you I hope you dine at my place?
Chichikov, in contrast to Tentetnikov, did not take offense at the word you. Meanwhile, the valet appeared with a washstand.
“Will you let me dress myself?” Betrishchev asked Pavel Ivanovich.
“Not only to dress, but you can do whatever Your Excellency wants in my presence.
The general began to wash himself so that water and soap flew in all directions. Noticing his benevolence, Chichikov decided to move on to the main business.
“Your Excellency,” he said as the valet left. “I have an uncle, a decrepit old man. He has an estate of three hundred souls, of which I am the only heir. But my uncle is a strange man and does not want to bequeath his estate to me, saying: let the nephew first prove that he is not a wast, but a reliable person. Let him first acquire at least three hundred souls of peasants, then I will give him my three hundred souls.
- Isn't he a fool? Betrishchev asked.
Yes, he's old and out of his mind. But here's what I came up with. If you, Your Excellency, hand over all the dead souls of your village to me as if they were alive, then I would present this bill of sale to the old man, and he would give me the inheritance.
The general fell into an armchair and laughed so loudly that Ulinka and the valet came running.
- Uncle, uncle! what fools it will be,” he shouted. – Ha, ha, ha! The dead instead of the living will receive. After all, he is an ass! I would give God knows what to see how you bring him a bill of sale for them.
- Donkey! Chichikov confirmed.
- Is he old?
- Eighty years old.
- Any more teeth?
"Two teeth in all, Your Excellency," Chichikov laughed too.
- Yes, for such an invention, I will give you the dead with land, with housing! Take over the whole cemetery!
And the general's laughter began to resound again in the general's quarters.
[The end of the 2nd chapter of the 2nd volume of Dead Souls is missing from Gogol. In the first edition of this book (1855) there is a note: “The reconciliation between General Betrishchev and Tentetnikov is omitted here; dinner with the general and their conversation about the twelfth year; Ulinka's engagement to Tentetnikov; her prayer and weeping at her mother's grave; conversation of the engaged in the garden. Chichikov, on behalf of General Betrishchev, goes to his relatives to announce the engagement of his daughter, and goes to one of these relatives, Colonel Koshkarev.]
Retelling plan
1. Chichikov arrives in the provincial town of NN.
2. Chichikov's visits to city officials.
3. Visit to Manilov.
4. Chichikov is at Korobochka.
5. Acquaintance with Nozdrev and a trip to his estate.
6. Chichikov at Sobakevich's.
7. Visit to Plushkin.
8. Registration of bills of sale for "dead souls" purchased from landowners.
9. The attention of the townspeople to Chichikov, the "millionaire".
10. Nozdrev reveals the secret of Chichikov.
11. The Tale of Captain Kopeikin.
12. Rumors about who Chichikov is.
13. Chichikov hastily leaves the city.
14. Story about the origin of Chichikov.
15. The author's reasoning about the essence of Chichikov.
retelling
Volume I
Chapter 1
A beautiful spring cart drove into the gates of the provincial city of NN. In it sat “a gentleman, not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin; one cannot say that he is old, however, and not so that he is too young. His arrival made no noise in the city. The hotel in which he stayed “was of a certain kind, that is, exactly the same as there are hotels in provincial towns, where for two rubles a day travelers get a quiet room with cockroaches ...” The visitor, waiting for dinner, managed to ask who was in significant officials in the city, about all significant landowners, who has how many souls, etc.
After dinner, having rested in the room, for a message to the police he wrote on a piece of paper: “College adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, landowner, according to his needs,” and he himself went to the city. “The city was in no way inferior to other provincial cities: the yellow paint on the stone houses was strong in the eyes and the gray on the wooden houses was modestly dark ... There were signs with pretzels and boots almost washed away by rain, where there was a shop with caps and the inscription: “Foreigner Vasily Fedorov”, where a billiard was drawn ... with the inscription: "And here is the institution." Most often came across the inscription: "Drinking house."
The whole next day was devoted to visits by city officials: the governor, the vice-governor, the prosecutor, the chairman of the chamber, the chief of police, and even the inspector of the medical board and the city architect. The governor, "like Chichikov, was neither fat nor thin, however, he was a great kind man and even sometimes embroidered tulle himself." Chichikov "very skillfully knew how to flatter everyone." He spoke little about himself and in some general phrases. In the evening, the governor had a "party", for which Chichikov carefully prepared. The men here, as elsewhere, were of two kinds: some were thin, curling around the ladies, and others were fat or the same as Chichikov, i.e. not so much too fat, but not thin either, they, on the contrary, backed away from the ladies. “Fat people know how to handle their affairs better in this world than thin ones. The thin ones serve more on special assignments or are only registered and wag hither and thither. Fat people never occupy indirect places, but all direct ones, and if they sit anywhere, they will sit securely and firmly. Chichikov thought for a moment and joined the fat ones. He met the landowners: the very courteous Manilov and the somewhat clumsy Sobakevich. Having completely charmed them with pleasant treatment, Chichikov immediately asked how many souls of peasants they had and in what condition their estates were.
Manilov, "still not at all an elderly man, who had eyes as sweet as sugar ... was oblivious of him," invited him to his estate. Chichikov also received an invitation from Sobakevich.
The next day, visiting the postmaster, Chichikov met the landowner Nozdrev, “a man of about thirty, a broken fellow, who, after three or four words, began to say “you” to him. He communicated with everyone in a friendly way, but when they sat down to play whist, the prosecutor and postmaster carefully looked at his bribes.
Chichikov spent the next few days in the city. Everyone had a very flattering opinion about him. He gave the impression of a man of the world, able to keep up a conversation on any topic and at the same time speak "neither loudly nor quietly, but exactly as it should."
Chapter 2
Chichikov went to the village to see Manilov. They searched for Manilov's house for a long time: “The village of Manilovka could lure a few with its location. The master's house stood alone at a brisk pace... open to all winds...' One could see a gazebo with a flat green dome, blue wooden columns and the inscription: 'Temple of Solitary Reflection'. An overgrown pond was visible below. Gray log huts darkened in the lowlands, which Chichikov immediately began to count and counted more than two hundred. In the distance was a pine forest. On the porch Chichikov was met by the owner himself.
Manilov was very glad to have a guest. “God alone could not say what the character of Manilov was. There is a kind of people known by the name: people are so-so, neither this nor that ... He was a prominent person; his features were not devoid of pleasantness... He smiled enticingly, was blond, with blue eyes. In the first minute of a conversation with him, you can’t help but say: “What a pleasant and kind person!” In the next minute you will not say anything, and in the third you will say: “The devil knows what it is!” - and you will move away ... At home he spoke little and for the most part reflected and thought, but what he thought about, too, God knew. It cannot be said that he was engaged in housekeeping ... it somehow went by itself ... Sometimes ... he said how good it would be if all of a sudden an underground passage was built from the house or a stone bridge was built across the pond, on which there would be shops on both sides, and so that merchants would sit in them and sell various small goods ... However, this ended with only one word.
In his study lay some kind of book, laid on one page, which he had been reading for two years. In the living room there was expensive, smart furniture: all the chairs were upholstered in red silk, but there were not enough for two, and for two years the owner had been telling everyone that they were not yet finished.
Manilov's wife ... "however, they were completely pleased with each other": after eight years of marriage, for her husband's birthday, she always prepared "some kind of beaded case for a toothpick." They cooked poorly in the house, the pantry was empty, the housekeeper stole, the servants were unclean and drunkards. But “all these subjects are low, and Manilova is well brought up,” in a boarding school where they teach three virtues: French, piano and knitting purses and other surprises.
Manilov and Chichikov showed unnatural courtesy: they tried to let each other through at the door without fail first. Finally, they both squeezed through the door at the same time. This was followed by an acquaintance with Manilov's wife and an empty conversation about mutual acquaintances. The opinion of all is the same: "a pleasant, most respectable, most amiable person." Then they all sat down to eat. Manilov introduced his sons to Chichikov: Themistoclus (seven years old) and Alkid (six years old). Themistoclus has a runny nose, he bites his brother on the ear, and he, having overcome tears and smeared with fat, eats dinner. After dinner, "the guest announced with a very significant air that he intended to talk about one very necessary matter."
The conversation took place in an office, the walls of which were painted with some kind of blue paint, even rather gray; on the table lay a few papers covered with writing, but most of all there was tobacco. Chichikov asked Manilov for a detailed register of peasants (revision tales), asking how many peasants had died since the last census of the register. Manilov did not remember exactly and asked why Chichikov needed to know this? He replied that he wanted to buy dead souls, which would be listed in the audit as living. Manilov was so taken aback that "as he opened his mouth, he remained with his mouth open for several minutes." Chichikov convinced Manilov that there would be no violation of the law, the treasury would even receive benefits in the form of legal duties. When Chichikov spoke about the price, Manilov decided to give away the dead souls free of charge and even took over the bill of sale, which aroused immoderate delight and gratitude from the guest. After seeing off Chichikov, Manilov again indulged in dreams, and now he imagined that the sovereign himself, having learned about his strong friendship with Chichikov, favored them with generals.
Chapter 3
Chichikov went to the village of Sobakevich. Suddenly it began to rain heavily, the driver lost his way. It turned out he was very drunk. Chichikov ended up in the estate of the landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka. Chichikov was led into a room hung with old striped wallpaper, on the walls were paintings of some kind of birds, between the windows small antique mirrors with dark frames in the form of curled leaves. The hostess entered; “one of those mothers, small landowners, who cry for crop failures, losses and keep their heads somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they collect a little money in motley bags placed in drawers of chests of drawers ...”
Chichikov stayed overnight. In the morning, he first of all examined the peasant huts: “Yes, her village is not small.” At breakfast, the hostess finally introduced herself. Chichikov started talking about buying dead souls. The box could not understand why he did this, and offered to buy hemp or honey. She, apparently, was afraid to sell cheap, began to play up, and Chichikov, persuading her, lost patience: “Well, the woman seems to be strong-headed!” The box still could not decide to sell the dead: “Maybe the household will somehow need ...”
Only when Chichikov mentioned that he was holding government contracts did he manage to convince Korobochka. She wrote a power of attorney to make a bill of sale. After much bargaining, the deal was finally done. At parting, Korobochka generously treated the guest to pies, pancakes, cakes with various seasonings and other food. Chichikov asked Korobochka to tell her how to get out onto the main road, which puzzled her: “How can I do this? It’s tricky to tell, there are a lot of turns.” She gave a girl as an escort, otherwise it would not be easy for the crew to leave: "the roads spread in all directions, like caught crayfish when they are poured out of a bag." Chichikov finally got to the tavern, which stood on a high road.
Chapter 4
Dining in a tavern, Chichikov saw through the window a light britzka with two men driving up. In one of them Chichikov recognized Nozdryov. Nozdryov "was of medium height, a very well-built fellow with full ruddy cheeks, teeth as white as snow, and sideburns as black as pitch." This landowner, Chichikov recalled, whom he met at the prosecutor's office, after a few minutes began to say "you" to him, although Chichikov did not give a reason. Without stopping for a minute, Nozdryov began to speak, without waiting for the interlocutor's answers: “Where did you go? And I, brother, from the fair. Congratulate: blown out into the fluff! .. But how we had a spree in the first days! .. Do you believe that I alone drank seventeen bottles of champagne in the course of dinner! Nozdryov, not silent for a moment, spouted all sorts of nonsense. He drew from Chichikov that he was going to Sobakevich's, and persuaded him to stop by before that. Chichikov decided that he could “beg for something for nothing” from the lost Nozdryov, and agreed.
Author's description of Nozdrev. Such people “are called broken fellows, they are known even in childhood and at school for good comrades, and for all that they are very painfully beaten ... They are always talkers, revelers, reckless people, prominent people ...” Nozdryov used to even with his closest friends "Start with smoothness, and end with reptile." At thirty-five, he was the same as he was at eighteen. The deceased wife left two children who he did not need at all. He did not spend more than two days at home, he was always wandering around the fairs, playing cards "not entirely sinless and clean." “Nozdryov was in some respects a historical person. At not a single meeting where he was, there was a story: either the gendarmes would take him out of the hall, or his own friends would be forced to push him out ... or he would cut himself in the buffet, or he would lie ... The closer someone got along with him, the more he rather, he pissed everyone off: he dissolved a fable, which is more stupid than which it is difficult to invent, upset a wedding, a deal, and did not at all consider himself your enemy. He had a passion "to change everything that is for everything you want." All this came from some kind of restless briskness and glibness of character.
On his estate, the owner immediately ordered the guests to inspect everything he had, which took a little over two hours. Everything was abandoned, except for the kennel. In the owner's office, only sabers and two guns hung, as well as "real" Turkish daggers, on which "by mistake" was carved: "master Savely Sibiryakov." Over a poorly prepared dinner, Nozdryov tried to make Chichikov drunk, but he managed to pour out the contents of his glass. Nozdryov offered to play cards, but the guest flatly refused and finally started talking about business. Nozdryov, sensing that the matter was unclean, pestered Chichikov with questions: why does he need dead souls? After much squabbling, Nozdryov agreed, but on the condition that Chichikov would also buy a stallion, a mare, a dog, a hurdy-gurdy, etc.
Chichikov, having stayed the night, regretted that he had called on Nozdryov and started talking to him about the matter. In the morning it turned out that Nozdryov had not abandoned his intention to play for souls, and they finally settled on checkers. During the game, Chichikov noticed that his opponent was cheating and refused to continue the game. Nozdryov shouted to the servants: “Beat him!” and himself, "all in heat and sweat," began to break through to Chichikov. The soul of the guest went to the heels. At that moment, a cart with a police captain drove up to the house, who announced that Nozdryov was on trial for "inflicting personal insult on the landowner Maksimov with rods while drunk." Chichikov, not listening to the bickering, quietly slipped out onto the porch, got into the britzka, and ordered Selifan to "drive the horses at full speed."
Chapter 5
Chichikov could not move away from fear. Suddenly, his britzka collided with a carriage in which two ladies were sitting: one was old, the other was young, of extraordinary charm. They parted with difficulty, but Chichikov thought for a long time about the unexpected meeting and the beautiful stranger.
The village of Sobakevich seemed to Chichikov “quite large... The yard was surrounded by a strong and excessively thick wooden lattice. ... The village huts of the peasants were also cut down marvelously ... everything was fitted tightly and properly. ... In a word, everything ... was stubborn, without shaking, in some kind of strong and clumsy order. “When Chichikov glanced askance at Sobakevich, he seemed to him very much like a medium-sized bear.” “The tail coat on him was completely bear-colored ... He stepped with his feet at random and at random and stepped incessantly on other people's feet. The complexion was red-hot, hot, which happens on a copper penny. "Bear! The perfect bear! They even called him Mikhail Semyonovich, thought Chichikov.
Entering the drawing room, Chichikov noticed that everything in it was solid, clumsy, and had some strange resemblance to the owner himself. Every object, every chair seemed to say: “And I, too, Sobakevich!” The guest tried to start a pleasant conversation, but it turned out that Sobakevich considered all mutual acquaintances - the governor, the postmaster, the chairman of the chamber - to be swindlers and fools. "Chichikov remembered that Sobakevich did not like to speak well of anyone."
Over a plentiful dinner, Sobakevich “tipped half a lamb side onto his plate, ate it all, gnawed it, sucked it to the last bone ... Cheesecakes followed the lamb side, each of which was much larger than a plate, then a turkey as tall as a calf ...” Sobakevich started talking about his neighbor Plyushkin, an extremely stingy man who owns eight hundred peasants, who "starved all the people to death." Chichikov became interested. After dinner, when he heard that Chichikov wanted to buy dead souls, Sobakevich was not at all surprised: "It seemed that there was no soul in this body at all." He started haggling and broke the exorbitant price. He spoke of dead souls as if they were alive: “I have everything for selection: not an artisan, but some other healthy peasant”: Mikheev, a carriage worker, Stepan Cork, a carpenter, Milushkin, a bricklayer ... “After all, what a people!” Chichikov finally interrupted him: “But excuse me, why are you counting all their qualities? After all, these are all dead people. In the end, they agreed on three rubles a head and decided to be in the city the next day and deal with the bill of sale. Sobakevich demanded a deposit, Chichikov, in turn, insisted that Sobakevich give him a receipt and asked him not to tell anyone about the deal. "Fist, fist! thought Chichikov, "and a beast to boot!"
In order not to see Sobakevich, Chichikov went by a detour to Plyushkin. The peasant, whom Chichikov asks for directions to the estate, calls Plyushkin "patched". The chapter ends with a lyrical digression about the Russian language. “The Russian people express themselves strongly!.. Pronounced aptly, it’s like writing, it is not cut down with an ax ... the lively and lively Russian mind ... does not go into your pocket for a word, but slaps it right away, like a passport on an eternal sock ... no a word that would be so bold, brisk, so burst out from under the very heart, so seething and vibrant, like a well-spoken Russian word.
Chapter 6
The chapter opens with a lyrical digression about travel: “Long ago, in the summer of my youth, it was fun for me to drive up to an unfamiliar place for the first time, a childish curious look revealed a lot of curiosity in it ... Now I indifferently drive up to any unfamiliar village and indifferently look at its vulgar appearance, ... and indifferent silence keep my motionless lips. O my youth! O my freshness!
Laughing at Plyushkin's nickname, Chichikov imperceptibly found himself in the middle of a vast village. “He noticed some special dilapidation on all the village buildings: many roofs pierced through like a sieve ... The windows in the huts were without glass ...” Then the manor’s house appeared: “This strange castle looked like some kind of decrepit invalid ... In some places it was one story, in some places two... The walls of the house slitted bare stucco bars in places and, apparently, suffered a lot from all kinds of bad weather... The garden overlooking the village... it seemed that alone refreshed this vast village, and alone was quite picturesque...”
“Everything said that farming here once flowed on a vast scale, and everything looked cloudy now ... At one of the buildings, Chichikov noticed some kind of figure ... For a long time he could not recognize what gender the figure was: a woman or a peasant ... the dress is indefinite, there is a cap on the head, the dressing gown is sewn from no one knows what. Chichikov concluded that it must be the housekeeper. Entering the house, he “was struck by the disorder that appeared”: cobwebs all around, broken furniture, a pile of papers, “a glass with some kind of liquid and three flies ... a piece of rag”, dust, a pile of garbage in the middle of the room. The same housekeeper came in. Looking closer, Chichikov realized that it was more like a key keeper. Chichikov asked where the gentleman was. “What, father, are they blind, or what? - said the key. - And I'm the owner!
The author describes Plushkin's appearance and his history. “The chin protruded far forward, the small eyes had not yet gone out and were running from under high-growing eyebrows like mice”; the sleeves and upper skirts of the dressing gown were so “greasy and shiny that they looked like yuft, which goes on boots”, around the neck is not a stocking, not a garter, just not a tie. “But in front of him was not a beggar, in front of him was a landowner. This landowner had more than a thousand souls,” the pantries were full of grain, lots of linen, sheepskins, vegetables, crockery, and so on. But it seemed to Plyushkin that this was not enough. “Everything that came across to him: an old sole, a woman’s rag, an iron nail, a clay shard, he dragged everything to himself and put it in a pile.” “But there was a time when he was only a thrifty owner! He was married and a family man; mills were moving, cloth factories, carpentry machines, spinning mills were working ... Intelligence was visible in the eyes ... But the good housewife died, Plyushkin became more restless, more suspicious and meaner. He cursed his eldest daughter, who ran away and married an officer of the cavalry regiment. The youngest daughter died, and the son, sent to the city to be determined for the service, went to the military - and the house was completely empty.
His “savings” reached the point of absurdity (for several months he keeps a cracker from an Easter cake that his daughter brought him as a gift, he always knows how much liquor is left in the decanter, he writes neatly on paper, so that the lines run into each other). At first Chichikov did not know how to explain to him the reason for his visit. But, starting a conversation about Plyushkin's household, Chichikov found out that about one hundred and twenty serfs had died. Chichikov showed “a readiness to take upon himself the obligation to pay taxes for all the dead peasants. The proposal seemed to completely astonish Plyushkin. He couldn't speak for joy. Chichikov invited him to make a bill of sale and even undertook to bear all the expenses. Plyushkin, out of an excess of feelings, does not know how to treat his dear guest: he orders to put on a samovar, get spoiled crackers from the Easter cake, wants to treat him with a liquor, from which he pulled out "a goat and all sorts of rubbish." Chichikov refused such a treat in disgust.
“And a person could descend to such insignificance, pettiness, disgust! Could change like that!” - exclaims the author.
It turned out that Plyushkin had a lot of fugitive peasants. And Chichikov also acquired them, while Plyushkin bargained for every penny. To the great joy of the owner, Chichikov soon left "in the most cheerful mood": he acquired "more than two hundred people" from Plyushkin.
Chapter 7
The chapter opens with a sad lyrical discussion of two types of writers.
In the morning Chichikov thought about who the peasants were during his lifetime, whom he now owns (now he has four hundred dead souls). In order not to pay clerks, he himself began to build fortresses. At two o'clock everything was ready, and he went to the civil chamber. On the street, he ran into Manilov, who began to kiss and hug him. Together they went to the ward, where they turned to the official Ivan Antonovich with a person “called a jug snout”, to whom, in order to speed up the case, Chichikov gave a bribe. Sobakevich also sat here. Chichikov agreed to complete the deal during the day. The documents have been completed. After such a successful completion of affairs, the chairman suggested that we go to dinner with the chief of police. During dinner, tipsy and cheered up, the guests persuaded Chichikov not to leave and, in general, to marry here. Zakhmelev, Chichikov chatted about his "Kherson estate" and already believed everything he said.
Chapter 8
The whole city was discussing Chichikov's purchases. Some even offered their help in resettling the peasants, some even began to think that Chichikov was a millionaire, so they "fell in love with him even more sincerely." The inhabitants of the city lived in harmony with each other, many were not without education: "some read Karamzin, some" Moskovskie Vedomosti", some even did not read anything at all."
Chichikov made a special impression on the ladies. "The ladies of the city of N were what is called presentable." How to behave, keep the tone, maintain etiquette, and especially keep fashion in the very last detail - in this they were ahead of the ladies of St. Petersburg and even Moscow. The ladies of the city of N were distinguished by “extraordinary caution and decency in words and expressions. They never said: “I blew my nose”, “I sweated”, “I spat”, but they said: “I relieved my nose”, “I managed with a handkerchief”. The word "millionaire" had a magical effect on the ladies, one of them even sent a sugary love letter to Chichikov.
Chichikov was invited to the governor's ball. Before the ball, Chichikov looked at himself in the mirror for an hour, assuming significant poses. At the ball, being in the spotlight, he tried to guess the author of the letter. The governor introduced Chichikov to her daughter, and he recognized the girl whom he once met on the road: “she was the only one who turned white and came out transparent and bright from a muddy and opaque crowd.” The charming young girl made such an impression on Chichikov that he "felt like a completely something like a young man, almost a hussar." The rest of the ladies felt offended by his impoliteness and inattention to them and began to "talk about him in different corners in the most unfavorable way."
Nozdryov appeared and ingenuously told everyone that Chichikov had tried to buy dead souls from him. The ladies, as if not believing in the news, picked it up. Chichikov "began to feel uncomfortable, not all right" and, without waiting for the end of dinner, left. In the meantime, Korobochka arrived in the city at night and began to find out the prices for dead souls, fearing that she had sold too cheap.
Chapter 9
Early in the morning, before the scheduled time for visits, "a lady pleasant in every way" went to visit the "simply pleasant lady." The guest told the news: at night, Chichikov, disguised as a robber, came to Korobochka with a demand to sell him dead souls. The hostess remembered that she had heard something from Nozdryov, but the guest had her own thoughts: dead souls are just a cover, in fact Chichikov wants to kidnap the governor's daughter, and Nozdryov is his accomplice. Then they discussed the appearance of the governor's daughter and did not find anything attractive in her.
Then the prosecutor appeared, they told him about their findings, which completely confused him. The ladies parted in different directions, and now the news went around the city. Men turned their attention to the purchase of dead souls, while women began to discuss the "abduction" of the governor's daughter. Rumors were retold in houses where Chichikov had never even been. He was suspected of a rebellion by the peasants of the village of Borovka and that he had been sent for some kind of check. To top it off, the governor received two notices about a counterfeiter and an escaped robber with an order to detain both ... They began to suspect that one of them was Chichikov. Then they remembered that they knew almost nothing about him ... They tried to find out, but they did not achieve clarity. We decided to meet with the chief of police.
Chapter 10
All officials were concerned about the situation with Chichikov. Gathered at the police chief, many noticed that they were emaciated from the latest news.
The author makes a lyrical digression about “the peculiarities of holding meetings or charity meetings”: “... In all our meetings ... there is a great deal of confusion ... Only those meetings that are made up in order to have a snack or dine are successful.” But here it turned out quite differently. Some were inclined to believe that Chichikov was a doer of banknotes, and then they themselves added: "Or maybe not a doer." Others believed that he was an official of the Governor-General's Office and immediately: "But, by the way, the devil knows." And the postmaster said that Chichikov was Captain Kopeikin, and told the following story.
THE STORY ABOUT CAPTAIN KOPEIKIN
During the war of 1812, the captain's arm and leg were torn off. There were no orders for the wounded then, and he went home to his father. He refused him the house, saying that there was nothing to feed him, and Kopeikin went to seek the truth to the sovereign in St. Petersburg. Asked where to go. The sovereign was not in the capital, and Kopeikin went to the "high commission, to the general-in-chief." He waited for a long time in the waiting room, then they announced to him that he would come in three or four days. The next time the nobleman said that we had to wait for the king, without his special permission, he could not do anything.
Kopeikin was running out of money, he decided to go and explain that he could not wait any longer, he simply had nothing to eat. He was not allowed to see the nobleman, but he managed to slip with some visitor into the reception room. He explained that he was dying of hunger, but could not earn. The general rudely escorted him out and sent him at public expense to his place of residence. “Where Kopeikin went is unknown; but not even two months had passed when a gang of robbers appeared in the Ryazan forests, and the ataman of this gang was none other ... "
It occurred to the chief of police that Kopeikin had no arms and legs, while Chichikov had everything in place. They began to make other assumptions, even this one: “Isn’t Chichikov Napoleon in disguise?” We decided to ask Nozdryov again, although he is a well-known liar. He was just engaged in the manufacture of fake cards, but he came. He said that he had sold dead souls to Chichikov for several thousand, that he knew him from the school where they studied together, and Chichikov had been a spy and a counterfeiter since the time that Chichikov really was going to take away the governor's daughter and Nozdryov helped him. As a result, officials never found out who Chichikov was. Frightened by insoluble problems, the prosecutor died, he had a stroke.
“Chichikov knew absolutely nothing about all this, he caught a cold and decided to stay at home.” He couldn't understand why no one was visiting him. Three days later, he went out into the street and first of all went to the governor, but he was not received there, just like in many other houses. Nozdryov came and incidentally told Chichikov: “...everyone in the city is against you; they think that you are making fake papers... they have dressed you up as robbers and spies.” Chichikov did not believe his ears: "... there is nothing more to delay, you need to get out of here as soon as possible."
He sent Nozdryov out and ordered Selifan to prepare for his departure.
Chapter 11
The next morning everything went upside down. At first Chichikov overslept, then it turned out that the chaise was out of order and the horses needed to be shod. But now everything was settled, and Chichikov, with a sigh of relief, sat down in the britzka. On the way, he met a funeral procession (the prosecutor was buried). Chichikov hid behind a curtain, afraid that he would be recognized. Finally Chichikov left the city.
The author tells the story of Chichikov: “The origin of our hero is dark and modest ... At the beginning, life looked at him somehow sourly and uncomfortably: no friend, no comrade in childhood!” His father, a poor nobleman, was constantly ill. One day, his father took Pavlusha to the city, to determine the city school: “The city streets flashed in front of the boy with unexpected splendor.” When parting, the father “was given a clever instruction: “Learn, 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, or hang out with the rich, so that they can be useful to you on occasion ... most of all, take care and save a penny: this thing is more reliable than anything in the world ... You will do everything and break everything in the world with a penny.
“He didn’t have any special abilities for any science,” but he turned out to have a practical mind. He did so that his comrades treated him, and he not only never treated them. And sometimes even, having hidden treats, then he sold them to them. “From the fifty dollars given by my father, I didn’t spend a penny, on the contrary, I made increments to it: I made a bullfinch out of wax and sold it very profitably”; accidentally teased hungry comrades with gingerbread and rolls, and then sold them to them, trained a mouse for two months and then sold it very profitably. “In relation to the authorities, he behaved even smarter”: he fawned over the teachers, catered to them, therefore he was in excellent standing and as a result “received a certificate and a book with golden letters for exemplary diligence and trustworthy behavior.”
His father left him a small inheritance. “At the same time, the poor teacher was expelled from the school,” out of grief, he began to drink, drank everything and disappeared sick in some closet. All his former students collected money for him, but Chichikov dissuaded himself by lack of money and gave him some nickel of silver. “Everything that did not respond with wealth and contentment made an impression on him, incomprehensible to himself. He decided to take up the service hotly, to conquer and overcome everything ... From early morning until late evening he wrote, mired in stationery, did not go home, slept in the office rooms on tables ... He fell under the command of an elderly assistant, who was an image of what something of stone insensitivity and unshakability. Chichikov began to please him in everything, “sniffed out his home life”, found out that he had an ugly daughter, began to come to church and stand in front of this girl. “And the case was a success: the stern clerk staggered and called him for tea!” He behaved like a fiancé, he called the intern “daddy” already, and through his future father-in-law he won the position of innkeeper. After that, "about the wedding, the matter was hushed up."
“Since then, everything has gone easier and more successfully. He became a conspicuous person ... in a short time he got a bread place ”and learned to deftly take bribes. Then he joined some kind of construction commission, but construction is not going “above the foundation”, but Chichikov managed to steal, like other members of the commission, significant funds. But suddenly a new boss was sent, an enemy of bribe-takers, and the officials of the commission were removed from their posts. Chichikov moved to another city and started from scratch. “He decided to get to the customs at all costs, and got there. He took up the service with unusual zeal. He became famous for his incorruptibility and honesty (“his honesty and incorruptibility were irresistible, almost unnatural”), he achieved a promotion. Having waited for the right moment, Chichikov received funds to carry out his project to catch all the smugglers. "Here in one year he could get what he would not have won in twenty years of the most zealous service." Having agreed with one official, he took up smuggling. Everything went smoothly, the accomplices grew rich, but suddenly they quarreled and both were put on trial. The property was confiscated, but Chichikov managed to save ten thousand, a cart and two serfs. And so he started again. As an attorney, he had to mortgage one estate, and then it dawned on him that you can mortgage dead souls in a bank, take a loan against them and hide. And he went to buy them in the city of N.
“So, our hero is all there ... Who is he in relation to moral qualities? Scoundrel? Why a scoundrel? Now we don’t have scoundrels, there are well-intentioned, pleasant people ... It’s most fair to call him: the owner, the acquirer ... And which of you is not publicly, but in silence, alone, deepens this heavy request into his own soul: “But no Is there some part of Chichikov in me too?” Yes, no matter how!”
Meanwhile, Chichikov woke up, and the britzka rushed faster, “And what kind of Russian person does not like to drive fast? .. Isn’t it so, Rus, that a lively, unbeatable troika is rushing along? Russia, where are you going? Give an answer. Doesn't give an answer. A bell is filled with a wonderful ringing; the air torn to pieces rumbles and becomes the wind; everything that is on earth flies past, and, looking sideways, step aside and give it way to other peoples and states.
