Summary of chapter 1 of the poem dead souls. N.V

"Dead Souls" is a complex work with multi-level text, where even experienced readers can get lost. So it won't hurt anyone brief retelling Gogol's poem chapter by chapter, as well as her, which will help students to penetrate the author's large-scale ideas.

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 first

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 Grigorievna 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 big bail money non-existent people and make a big fortune.

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Here is a summary of the 4th chapter of the work “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol.

A very brief summary of "Dead Souls" can be found, and the one below is quite detailed.
General content by chapter:

Chapter 4 - summary.

Having approached the tavern, Chichikov ordered to stop in order to give the horses a rest and have a bite to eat himself. This is followed by a small author's lyrical digression about the uniqueness of the stomach of the gentleman of the middle hand. It is this category of people that causes envy even among gentlemen. big hand, because it is capable of absorbing an incredible amount of food both in one sitting and during the day, and without harm to its own body.

While Pavel Ivanovich dealt with the pig under sour cream and horseradish, he managed to ask the old woman who served it on the table in detail about who runs the tavern, about her family, and also about the condition of the local landowners. The old woman knew both Manilov and Sobakevich. She did not favor the latter, since he always ordered only one dish, ate it, and even demanded supplements for the same price.

When Chichikov was already finishing his pig, a light chaise drove up to the tavern. Two men got out of it. One lingered in the street, and the other entered the tavern, talking to the servant. Otho was a tall, blond man, with whom Pavel Ivanovich wanted to speak, but a second man followed. A black-haired fellow with full cheeks, seeing Chichikov, spread his arms and exclaimed: Ba, ba, ba! What fate ? It turned out to be Nozdryov, whom Pavel Ivanovich met at the home of one of the city officials. Without waiting for an answer, the fellow began to show off his tricks at the fair. His speech was noisy and erratic. Jumping from one subject to another, Nozdryov spoke about how he had completely lost at the fair. Immediately, without distracting himself from the conversation, he introduced Chichikov to his companion, Mizhuev, his son-in-law, whom he blamed for his loss, since he did not give him more money. Nozdryov began to recall that he had just drunk seventeen bottles of champagne. Such an outright lie surprised Mizhuev, who entered into an argument with his relative. A new acquaintance invited Chichikov to his home. Nozdryov immediately ordered a thoroughbred puppy to be dragged from the britzka and forced Chichikov to feel his ears and nose.

Nozdrev belonged to the category of people called broken fellows. A talker, a reveler, a reckless driver, he quickly converged with people, but, having made friends, he could fight that same evening. More than once Nozdryov was beaten for lies, slander or swindle, but the very next day he met with these people as if nothing had happened. Marriage did not settle this reveler, especially since his wife soon died, leaving him two children. The children were looked after by a cute nanny. Not a single meeting at which Nozdryov was present was complete without a story: either the gendarmes would lead him out under the arms, or his own friends would push him out of the room, or he would lie in such a way that he himself would be ashamed. Nozdryov sometimes lied for no reason, for example, that his horse had some kind of blue or pink wool. This man also liked to do nasty things, and to the one who converged with him most of all. Nozdryov spread the most stupid tales about his friend, but he also had frustrated trade deals and failed weddings. Nozdryov also had a passion for exchange. Everything was subject to change. It often happened that, arguing to the point of remaining in only a short frock coat, Nozdryov would go looking for some friend in order to take advantage of his carriage.

Arriving at his estate, Nozdryov began to brag to his companions about his village, dogs, stables and horses. Dinner was badly cooked. The cook was guided more by inspiration than recipes, but various strong drinks were in abundance. Chichikov noticed that Nozdryov, while pouring water for the guests, did not drink very much himself. Pavel Ivanovich also began secretly pouring wine into a plate. The dinner dragged on, Chichikov did not talk about the matter, waiting to be left alone with the owner. Finally Mizhuev left. When Nozdryov listened to Chichikov's request, he did not seem at all surprised. The owner began to ask why the guest needed this, calling him a swindler and a swindler. Finally, Nozdryov promised Pavel Ivanovich to simply give up his dead peasants on the condition that he buy a thoroughbred stallion from him. The guest began to refuse. Then the owner, in turn, began to offer other unnecessary things to Chichikov. Then Nozdrev invited Pavel Ivanovich to play for money and was again refused. This angered the owner. He called Chichikov rubbish and a fetuk.

Having dined in silence, the quarreling friends dispersed to their rooms. Chichikov scolded himself for talking to Nozdryov about his business. He was afraid that he would spread gossip about him. In the morning, the first thing Chichikov suggested was laying the britzka. In the courtyard he met Nozdryov, who spoke to the guest as if nothing had happened. At breakfast, the host again began to offer Chichikov to play cards, to which he refused. Agree on chess. Nozdryov began to cheat, the guest refused to finish the game. It almost came to physical assault, because the owner wanted to force the guest to continue the game. The situation was saved by the police captain, who came to Nozdryov to inform him that he was on trial. Chichikov, without waiting for the end of the conversation, grabbed his hat, got into the britzka, and ordered them to drive at full speed.

VOLUME ONE

The proposed history, as will become clear from what follows, took place somewhat shortly after the "glorious expulsion of the French." A collegiate adviser arrives in the provincial city of NN Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov(he is not old and not too young, not fat and not thin, his appearance is rather pleasant and somewhat rounded) and settles in a hotel. He makes a lot of questions to the tavern servant - both regarding the owner and income of the tavern, and revealing the solidity of it: about city officials, the most significant landowners, asks about the state of the region and whether there were "what diseases in their province, epidemic fevers" and other similar adversity.

Having gone on visits, the visitor discovers extraordinary activity (visiting everyone, from the governor to the inspector of the medical board) and courtesy, for he knows how to say something pleasant to everyone. About himself, he speaks somehow vaguely (that he “experienced a lot in his lifetime, endured in the service for the truth, had many enemies who even attempted on his life,” and now he is looking for a place to live). On the house party with the governor, he manages to win general favor and, among other things, make acquaintance with the landowners Manilov and Sobakevich. In the following days, he dines with the chief of police (where he meets the landowner Nozdryov), visits the chairman of the chamber and the vice-governor, the farmer and the prosecutor, and goes to the Manilov estate (which, however, is preceded by a fair author's digression, where, justifying his love for detail, the author certifies in detail Petrushka, the visitor's servant: his passion for "the process of reading itself" and the ability to carry with him a special smell, "responding somewhat to residential peace").

Having traveled, against the promised, not fifteen, but all thirty miles, Chichikov falls into Manilovka, into the arms of an affectionate owner. House Manilova, standing on a jura, surrounded by several English-style flower beds and gazebos with the inscription "Temple of Solitary Reflection", could characterize the owner, who was "neither this nor that", not weighed down by any passions, only unnecessarily cloying. After Manilov's confessions that Chichikov's visit was "a May day, a name day of the heart", and a dinner in the company of the hostess and two sons, Themistoclus and Alkid, Chichikov discovers the reason for his arrival: he would like to acquire peasants who have died, but have not yet been declared as such in the revision help, having issued everything legally, as if on the living (“the law - I am dumb before the law”). The first fright and bewilderment are replaced by the perfect disposition of the kind host, and, having made a deal, Chichikov leaves for Sobakevich, and Manilov indulges in dreams of Chichikov's life in the neighborhood across the river, of the construction of a bridge, of a house with such a belvedere that Moscow is visible from there, and of their friendship, having learned about which the sovereign would grant them generals. Chichikov's coachman Selifan, much favored by Manilov's yard people, in conversations with his horses misses the right turn and, at the sound of a downpour, knocks the master over into the mud. In the dark, they find lodging for the night at Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka, a somewhat timid landowner, with whom Chichikov also begins to trade in the morning. dead souls. Explaining that he himself would now pay taxes for them, cursing the old woman’s stupidity, promising to buy both hemp and lard, but another time, Chichikov buys souls from her for fifteen rubles, receives a detailed list of them (in which Pyotr Savelyev is especially struck by Disrespect -Trough) and, having eaten an unleavened egg pie, pancakes, pies and other things, departs, leaving the hostess in great concern as to whether she had sold too cheap.

Having driven out onto the main road to the tavern, Chichikov stops for a bite to eat; the author provides some enterprises with a lengthy discourse on the properties of the appetite of middle-class gentlemen. Here Nozdryov meets him, returning from the fair in the britzka of his son-in-law Mizhuev, for he lost everything with his horses and even the watch chain. Describing the charms of the fair, the drinking qualities of dragoon officers, a certain Kuvshinnikov, a great lover of "to use about strawberries" and, finally, presenting a puppy, "a real face", Nozdryov takes Chichikov (thinking to get hold of here too) to himself, taking away his son-in-law, who is reluctant. Describing Nozdryov, “in some respects historical man”(for wherever he was, there was a story), his possessions, the unpretentiousness of dinner with an abundance, however, drinks of dubious quality, the author sends his son-in-law to his wife (Nozdryov admonishes him with scolding and the word “fetyuk”), and Chichikov is forced to turn to your subject; but he fails to beg or buy souls: Nozdryov offers to exchange them, take them in addition to the stallion or make a bet in a card game, finally scolds, quarrels, and they part for the night. Persuasion resumes in the morning, and, having agreed to play checkers, Chichikov notices that Nozdryov is shamelessly cheating. Chichikov, whom the owner and the servants are already trying to beat, manages to escape in view of the appearance of the police captain, who announces that Nozdryov is on trial. On the road, Chichikov's carriage collides with a certain carriage, and while the onlookers who come running are breeding tangled horses, Chichikov admires the sixteen-year-old young lady, indulges in reasoning about her and dreams of family life. A visit to Sobakevich in his strong, like himself, estate is accompanied by a thorough dinner, a discussion of city officials, who, according to the owner, are all swindlers (one prosecutor is a decent person, “and even that one, to tell the truth, is a pig”), and is crowned with an interesting guest deal. Not at all frightened by the strangeness of the object, Sobakevich bargains, characterizes the favorable qualities of each serf, supplies Chichikov detailed list and forces him to give a deposit.

Path Chichikov to the neighboring landowner Plyushkin, mentioned by Sobakevich, is interrupted by a conversation with a peasant who gave Plyushkin an apt, but not too printed nickname, and by the author's lyrical reflection on his former love for unfamiliar places and the indifference that has now appeared. Plyushkin, this "hole in humanity", Chichikov at first takes for a housekeeper or a beggar, whose place is on the porch. His most important feature is his amazing stinginess, and he even carries the old sole of his boot into a heap heaped in the master's chambers. Having shown the profitability of his proposal (namely, that he would take over the taxes for the dead and runaway peasants), Chichikov fully succeeds in his enterprise and, refusing tea with cracker, provided with a letter to the chairman of the chamber, departs in the most cheerful mood.

While Chichikov is sleeping in the hotel, the author reflects with sadness on the meanness of the objects he paints. Meanwhile, the satisfied Chichikov, waking up, composes the merchant's fortresses, studies the lists of the acquired peasants, reflects on their alleged fate, and finally goes to the civil chamber in order to conclude the case as soon as possible. Manilov, met at the gates of the hotel, accompanies him. Then follows a description of the public office, Chichikov's first ordeals and a bribe to a certain jug snout, until he enters the chairman's apartment, where, by the way, he also finds Sobakevich. The chairman agrees to be Plyushkin's attorney, and at the same time speeds up other transactions. The acquisition of Chichikov is discussed, with land or for withdrawal he bought peasants and in what places. Having found out that they were sent to the Kherson province, having discussed the properties of the sold peasants (here the chairman remembered that the coachman Mikheev seemed to have died, but Sobakevich assured that he was still alive and "has become healthier than before"), they finish with champagne, go to the chief of police, "father and a philanthropist in the city” (whose habits are immediately outlined), where they drink to the health of the new Kherson landowner, become completely excited, force Chichikov to stay and attempt to marry him.

Chichikov's purchases make a splash in the city, a rumor is circulating that he is a millionaire. Ladies are crazy about him. Several times trying to describe the ladies, the author becomes shy and retreats. On the eve of the governor's ball, Chichikov even receives a love letter, though unsigned. Having used, as usual, a lot of time on the toilet and being pleased with the result, Chichikov goes to the ball, where he passes from one embrace to another. The ladies, among whom he is trying to find the sender of the letter, even quarrel, challenging his attention. But when the governor's wife approaches him, he forgets everything, because she is accompanied by her daughter ("Institute, just released"), a sixteen-year-old blonde, whose carriage he encountered on the road. He loses the favor of the ladies, because he starts a conversation with a fascinating blonde, scandalously neglecting the rest. To complete the trouble, Nozdryov appears and loudly asks if Chichikov has bought a lot of the dead. And although Nozdryov is obviously drunk and the embarrassed society is gradually distracted, Chichikov is not given a whist or the subsequent dinner, and he leaves upset.

At this time, a tarantass enters the city with the landowner Korobochka, whose growing anxiety forced her to come in order to still find out at what price dead Souls. The next morning, this news becomes the property of a certain pleasant lady, and she hurries to tell it to another, pleasant in all respects, the story grows amazing details(Chichikov, armed to the teeth, breaks into Korobochka in the dead of midnight, demands the souls who have died, inspires terrible fear - “the whole village has come running, the children are crying, everyone is screaming”). Her friend concludes that dead Souls only a cover, and Chichikov wants to take away the governor's daughter. After discussing the details of this enterprise, the undoubted participation of Nozdryov in it and the qualities of the governor's daughter, both ladies dedicate the prosecutor to everything and set off to rebel the city.

AT a short time the city is seething, to which is added the news about the appointment of a new governor-general, as well as information about the papers received: about the maker of forged banknotes, who showed up in the province, and about the robber who fled from legal persecution. Trying to understand who Chichikov is, they recall that he was certified very vaguely and even spoke about those who attempted on his life. The postmaster's statement that Chichikov, in his opinion, is Captain Kopeikin, who took up arms against the injustice of the world and became a robber, is rejected, since it follows from the entertaining postmaster's story that the captain is missing an arm and leg, and Chichikov is whole. An assumption arises whether Chichikov is Napoleon in disguise, and many begin to find a certain similarity, especially in profile. Questions from Korobochka, Manilov, and Sobakevich did not yield any results, and Nozdryov only multiplied the confusion by announcing that Chichikov was definitely a spy, a maker of forged banknotes, and had an undoubted intention to take away the governor's daughter, in which Nozdryov undertook to help him (each of the versions was accompanied by detailed details up to the name priest who took up the wedding). All these rumors have a tremendous effect on the prosecutor, he has a stroke, and he dies.

Chichikov himself, sitting in the hotel with a slight cold, is surprised that none of the officials visits him. Finally, having gone on visits, he discovers that they do not receive him at the governor's, and in other places they fearfully shun him. Nozdryov, visiting him at the hotel, among the general noise he made, partly clarifies the situation by announcing that he agrees to hasten the kidnapping of the governor's daughter. The next day, Chichikov hurriedly leaves, but is stopped by a funeral procession and forced to contemplate the whole world of bureaucracy flowing behind the coffin of the prosecutor Brichka leaves the city, and the open spaces on both sides of it evoke sad and encouraging thoughts about Russia, the road, and then only sad about their chosen hero. Concluding that it is time for the virtuous hero to give rest, and, on the contrary, to hide the scoundrel, the author sets out the life story of Pavel Ivanovich, his childhood, training in classes where he already showed a practical mind, his relationship with his comrades and teacher, his service later in the state chamber, some kind of commission for the construction of a government building, where for the first time he gave vent to some of his weaknesses, his subsequent departure to other, not so profitable places, transfer to the customs service, where, showing honesty and incorruptibility almost unnatural, he made a lot of money in collusion with smugglers, went bankrupt, but dodged the criminal court, although he was forced to resign. He became a confidant, and during the fuss about the pledge of the peasants, he put together a plan in his head, began to travel around the expanses of Russia, so that, having bought dead souls and pawned them in the treasury as living, he would receive money, buy, perhaps, a village and ensure future offspring.

Having again complained about the properties of his hero’s nature and partly justified him, having found him the name of “owner, acquirer”, the author is distracted by the urged running of horses, the similarity of the flying troika with rushing Russia and the ringing of the bell completes the first volume.

VOLUME TWO

It opens with a description of the nature that makes up the estate of Andrei Ivanovich Tentetnikov, whom the author calls "the smoker of the sky." The story of the stupidity of his pastime is followed by the story of a life inspired by hopes at the very beginning, overshadowed by the pettiness of service and troubles afterwards; he retires, intending to improve the estate, reads books, takes care of the peasant, but without experience, sometimes just human, this does not give the expected results, the peasant is idle, Tentetnikov gives up. He breaks off acquaintances with his neighbors, offended by the treatment of General Betrishchev, stops visiting him, although he cannot forget his daughter Ulinka. In a word, without someone who would tell him an invigorating “forward!”, He completely turns sour.

Chichikov comes to him, apologizing for a breakdown in the carriage, curiosity and a desire to pay respect. Having won the favor of the owner with his amazing ability to adapt to anyone, Chichikov, having lived with him for a while, goes to the general, to whom he spins a story about an absurd uncle and, as usual, begs for the dead. On the laughing general, the poem fails, and we find Chichikov heading towards Colonel Koshkarev. Against expectation, he gets to Pyotr Petrovich Petukh, whom at first he finds completely naked, carried away by the hunt for sturgeon. At the Rooster, having nothing to get hold of, for the estate is mortgaged, he only overeats terribly, gets acquainted with the bored landowner Platonov and, having incited him to travel together in Russia, goes to Konstantin Fedorovich Kostanzhoglo, married to Platonov's sister. He talks about the ways of managing, by which he increased the income from the estate dozens of times, and Chichikov is terribly inspired.

Very promptly, he visits Colonel Koshkarev, who has divided his village into committees, expeditions and departments and has arranged a perfect paper production in the mortgaged estate, as it turns out. Returning, he listens to the curses of the bilious Costanjoglo to the factories and manufactories that corrupt the peasant, to the peasant's absurd desire to enlighten, and to his neighbor Khlobuev, who has run a hefty estate and is now lowering it for nothing. Having experienced emotion and even a craving for honest work, after listening to the story of the farmer Murazov, who made forty millions in an impeccable way, Chichikov the next day, accompanied by Kostanzhoglo and Platonov, goes to Khlobuev, observes the unrest and debauchery of his household in the neighborhood of a governess for children, dressed in fashion wife and other traces of ridiculous luxury. Having borrowed money from Kostanzhoglo and Platonov, he gives a deposit for the estate, intending to buy it, and goes to the Platonov estate, where he meets his brother Vasily, who effectively manages the economy. Then he suddenly appears at their neighbor Lenitsyn, clearly a rogue, wins his sympathy with his skillfully tickling a child and receives dead souls.

After many seizures in the manuscript, Chichikov is found already in the city at a fair, where he buys fabric of a lingonberry color so dear to him with a spark. He runs into Khlobuev, whom, apparently, he cheated, either depriving him, or almost depriving him of his inheritance by some kind of forgery. Khlobuev, who missed him, is taken away by Murazov, who convinces Khlobuev of the need to work and determines for him to raise funds for the church. Meanwhile, denunciations against Chichikov are being discovered both about forgery and about dead souls. The tailor brings a new coat. Suddenly, a gendarme appears, dragging smart Chichikov to the governor-general, "angry as anger itself." Here all his atrocities become apparent, and he, kissing the general's boot, plunges into the prison. In a dark closet, tearing his hair and coat tails, mourning the loss of a box of papers, Murazov finds Chichikov, awakens in him with simple virtuous words the desire to live honestly and goes to soften the governor general. At that time, officials who want to harm their wise superiors and receive a bribe from Chichikov deliver him a box, kidnap an important witness and write many denunciations in order to completely confuse the matter. Unrest breaks out in the province itself, greatly worrying the governor-general. However, Murazov knows how to feel the sensitive strings of his soul and give him the right advice, with which the Governor-General, having released Chichikov, is already going to use it, as "the manuscript breaks off."

Gogol's work "Dead Souls" was written in the second half of the 19th century. The first volume was published in 1842, the second volume was almost completely destroyed by the author. The third volume was never written. The plot of the work was prompted by Gogol. The poem tells about a middle-aged gentleman, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, traveling around Russia in order to buy the so-called dead souls - peasants who are not alive, but who are still listed as living according to documents. Gogol wanted to show the whole of Russia, the whole Russian soul in its breadth and immensity.

Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" in a summary of the chapters can be read below. In the above version, the main characters are described, the most significant fragments are highlighted, with the help of which you can make a complete picture of the content of this poem. Reading Gogol's "Dead Souls" online will be useful and relevant for grade 9.

main characters

Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov - main character poems, middle-aged collegiate adviser. He travels around Russia in order to buy up dead souls, knows how to find an approach to each person, which he constantly uses.

Other characters

Manilov- landowner, no longer young. At first, you think only pleasant things about him, and after that you don’t know what to think. He does not care about domestic difficulties; lives with his wife and two sons, Themistoclus and Alkid.

box- an elderly woman, a widow. She lives in a small village, runs the household herself, sells products and furs. A stingy woman. She knew the names of all the peasants by heart, she did not keep written records.

Sobakevich- the landowner, in everything he is looking for profit. With its massiveness and clumsiness, it resembled a bear. Agrees to sell dead souls to Chichikov even before he spoke about it.

Nozdryov- a landowner who cannot sit at home for a single day. To love to revel and play cards: hundreds of times he lost to smithereens, but still continued to play; has always been the hero of a story, and he himself is a master of telling fables. His wife died, leaving a child, but Nozdryov did not care about family matters at all.

Plushkin- an unusual person, by whose appearance it is difficult to determine which class he belongs to. Chichikov at first mistook him for an old housekeeper. He lives alone, although earlier life was in full swing on his estate.

Selifan- coachman, Chichikov's servant. He drinks a lot, is often distracted from the road, likes to think about the eternal.

Volume 1

Chapter 1

A chaise with an ordinary, unremarkable cart enters the city of NN. He checked into a hotel, which, as often happens, was poor and dirty. The master's luggage was brought in by Selifan (a short man in a sheepskin coat) and Petrushka (a little 30 years old). The traveler almost immediately went to the inn to find out who held the leading positions in this city. At the same time, the gentleman tried not to talk about himself at all, nevertheless, everyone with whom the gentleman spoke managed to make the most pleasant characterization about him. Along with this, the author very often emphasizes the insignificance of the character.

During dinner, the guest finds out from the servant who is the chairman in the city, who is the governor, how many rich landowners, the visitor did not miss a single detail.

Chichikov meets Manilov and the clumsy Sobakevich, whom he quickly managed to charm with his manners and public demeanor: he could always keep up a conversation on any topic, was polite, attentive and courteous. People who knew him spoke only positively about Chichikov. At the card table, he behaved like an aristocrat and a gentleman, even arguing somehow especially pleasantly, for example, “you deigned to go.”

Chichikov hurried to pay visits to all the officials of this city in order to win them over and testify to his respect.

Chapter 2

Chichikov had been living in the city for more than a week, spending his time reveling and feasting. He made many useful acquaintances for him, was a welcome guest at various receptions. While Chichikov was spending time at the next dinner party, the author introduces the reader to his servants. Petrushka walked in a wide frock coat from the master's shoulder, had a large nose and lips. The character was silent. He loved to read, but he liked the process of reading much more than the subject of reading. Parsley always carried with him "his own special smell", ignoring Chichikov's requests to go to the bathhouse. The author did not describe the coachman Selifan, they say, he belonged to a too low class, and the reader prefers landowners and counts.

Chichikov went to the village to Manilov, who "could lure few with its location." Although Manilov said that the village was only 15 miles from the city, Chichikov had to travel almost twice as far. Manilov at first glance was a prominent man, his features were pleasant, but too sugary. You won’t get a single living word from him, Manilov seemed to live in an imaginary world. Manilov had nothing of his own, nothing of his own. He spoke little, most often thinking about lofty matters. When a peasant or a clerk asked the master about something, he answered: “Yes, not bad,” not caring about what would happen next.

In Manilov's office there was a book that the master had been reading for the second year already, and the bookmark, once left on page 14, remained in place. Not only Manilov, but the house itself suffered from a lack of something special. It was as if something was always missing in the house: the furniture was expensive, and there was not enough upholstery for two armchairs, in the other room there was no furniture at all, but they were always going to put it there. The owner spoke touchingly and tenderly to his wife. She was a match for her husband - a typical pupil of a boarding school for girls. She was taught French, dancing and piano to please and entertain her husband. Often they spoke softly and reverently, like young lovers. It seemed that the spouses did not care about household trifles.

Chichikov and Manilov stood at the door for several minutes, letting each other go forward: “Do yourself a favour, don’t worry like that for me, I’ll go through later”, “don’t bother, please don’t bother. Please come through." As a result, both passed at the same time, sideways, hitting each other. Chichikov agreed with Manilov in everything, who praised the governor, the chief of police, and others.

Chichikov was surprised by the children of Manilov, two sons of six and eight years old, Themistoclus and Alkid. Manilov wanted to show off his children, but Chichikov did not notice any special talents in them. After dinner, Chichikov decided to talk with Manilov about one very important matter - about dead peasants who, according to documents, are still considered alive - about dead souls. In order to “save Manilov from having to pay taxes,” Chichikov asks Manilov to sell him documents for peasants that no longer exist. Manilov was somewhat discouraged, but Chichikov convinced the landowner of the legitimacy of such a deal. Manilov decided to give away the "dead souls" for free, after which Chichikov hurriedly began to gather at Sobakevich's, pleased with his successful acquisition.

Chapter 3

Chichikov rode to Sobakevich in high spirits. Selifan, the coachman, was arguing with his horse, and, carried away by his thoughts, he stopped following the road. The travelers got lost.
The chaise drove off-road for a long time until it hit the fence and rolled over. Chichikov was forced to ask an old woman for lodging for the night, who let them in only after Chichikov spoke about his noble title.

The owner was an elderly woman. She can be called thrifty: there were a lot of old things in the house. The woman was dressed tastelessly, but with a claim to elegance. The lady's name was Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna. She did not know any Manilov, from which Chichikov concluded that they had been driven into a decent wilderness.

Chichikov woke up late. His linen had been dried and laundered by Korobochka's fussy worker. Pavel Ivanovich did not particularly stand on ceremony with Korobochka, allowing himself to be rude. Nastasya Filippovna was a collegiate secretary, her husband died long ago, so the whole household was on her. Chichikov did not miss the opportunity to ask about dead souls. He had to persuade Korobochka for a long time, who also bargained. Korobochka knew all the peasants by name, so she did not keep written records.

Chichikov was tired of a long conversation with the hostess, and was rather glad not that he had received less than twenty souls from her, but that this dialogue had ended. Nastasya Filippovna, delighted with the sale, decided to sell Chichikov flour, lard, straw, fluff and honey. To appease the guest, she ordered the maid to bake pancakes and pies, which Chichikov ate with pleasure, but politely refused other purchases.

Nastasya Filippovna sent a little girl with Chichikov to show the way. The chaise had already been repaired and Chichikov went on.

Chapter 4

The chaise drove up to the tavern. The author admits that Chichikov had an excellent appetite: the hero ordered chicken, veal and piglet with sour cream and horseradish. In the tavern, Chichikov asked about the owner, his sons, their wives, and at the same time found out where which landowner lives. In a tavern, Chichikov met Nozdryov, with whom he had previously dined together with the prosecutor. Nozdryov was cheerful and drunk: he again lost at cards. Nozdryov laughed at Chichikov's plans to go to Sobakevich, persuading Pavel Ivanovich to visit him first. Nozdryov was sociable, the soul of the company, a reveler and a talker. His wife died early, leaving two children, whom Nozdryov was absolutely not involved in raising. He could not sit at home for more than a day, his soul demanded feasts and adventures. Nozdryov had an amazing attitude towards acquaintances: the closer he got together with a person, the more stories he told. At the same time, Nozdryov managed not to quarrel with anyone after that.

Nozdryov was very fond of dogs and even kept a wolf. The landowner boasted so much of his possessions that Chichikov got tired of inspecting them, although Nozdryov attributed to his lands even a forest, which could not be his property. At the table, Nozdryov poured out wine for the guests, but added little to himself. In addition to Chichikov, Nozdryov was visited by his son-in-law, in whose presence Pavel Ivanovich did not dare to talk about the true motives of his visit. However, the son-in-law soon got ready to go home, and Chichikov was finally able to ask Nozdryov about the dead souls.

He asked Nozdryov to transfer the dead souls to himself, without revealing his true motives, but Nozdryov's interest from this only intensifies. Chichikov is forced to come up with various stories: allegedly dead souls are needed to gain weight in society or to successfully marry, but Nozdryov feels false, so he allows himself rude remarks about Chichikov. Nozdryov offers Pavel Ivanovich to buy from him a stallion, a mare or a dog, complete with which he will give his soul. Nozdryov did not want to give away dead souls just like that.

The next morning, Nozdryov behaved as if nothing had happened, offering Chichikov to play checkers. If Chichikov wins, then Nozdryov will transfer all the dead souls to him. Both played dishonestly, Chichikov was very exhausted by the game, but the police officer unexpectedly came to Nozdryov, saying that from now on Nozdryov was on trial for beating the landowner. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chichikov hurried to leave Nozdryov's estate.

Chapter 5

Chichikov was glad that he had left Nozdryov empty-handed. Chichikov was distracted from his thoughts by an accident: a horse harnessed to Pavel Ivanovich's britzka got mixed up with a horse from another harness. Chichikov was fascinated by the girl who was sitting in another wagon. He thought about the beautiful stranger for a long time.

The village of Sobakevich seemed huge to Chichikov: gardens, stables, sheds, peasant houses. Everything seems to have been made for centuries. Sobakevich himself seemed to Chichikov like a bear. Everything about Sobakevich was massive and clumsy. Each item was ridiculous, as if saying: "I also look like Sobakevich." Sobakevich spoke disrespectfully and rudely about other people. From him Chichikov learned about Plyushkin, whose peasants were dying like flies.

Sobakevich reacted calmly to the offer of dead souls, even offered to sell them before Chichikov himself spoke about it. The landowner behaved strangely, inflating the price, praising the already dead peasants. Chichikov was unhappy with the deal with Sobakevich. It seemed to Pavel Ivanovich that it was not he who was trying to deceive the landowner, but Sobakevich was trying to deceive him.
Chichikov went to Plyushkin.

Chapter 6

Immersed in his thoughts, Chichikov did not notice that he had entered the village. In the village of Plyushkina, the windows in the houses were without glass, the bread was damp and moldy, the gardens were abandoned. Nowhere was the result of human labor to be seen. Near Plyushkin's house there were many buildings overgrown with green mold.

Chichikov was met by the housekeeper. The master was not at home, the housekeeper invited Chichikov to the chambers. A lot of things were piled up in the rooms, in the heaps it was impossible to understand what exactly was there, everything was covered in dust. By the appearance of the room, it cannot be said that a living person lived here.

A bent-over man, unshaven, in a washed-out dressing gown, entered the chamber. The face was nothing special. If Chichikov met this man on the street, he would give him alms.

This man was the landowner himself. There was a time when Plyushkin was a thrifty owner, and his house was full of life. Now, strong feelings were not reflected in the eyes of the old man, but his forehead betrayed a remarkable mind. Plyushkin's wife died, his daughter ran away with the military, his son went to the city, and the youngest daughter died. The house became empty. Guests rarely dropped in on Plyushkin, and Plyushkin did not want to see the runaway daughter, who sometimes asked her father for money. The landowner himself started talking about the dead peasants, because he was glad to get rid of the dead souls, although after a while suspiciousness appeared in his eyes.

Chichikov refused treats, being under the impression of dirty dishes. Plyushkin decided to bargain, manipulating his plight. Chichikov bought 78 souls from him, forcing Plyushkin to write a receipt. After the deal, Chichikov, as before, hastened to leave. Plyushkin locked the gate behind the guest, walked around his possessions, pantries and kitchen, and then thought about how to thank Chichikov.

Chapter 7

Chichikov had already acquired 400 souls, so he wanted to finish things in this city faster. He reviewed and arranged everything. Required documents. All the peasants of Korobochka were distinguished by strange nicknames, Chichikov was unhappy that their names took up a lot of space on paper, Plyushkin's note was short, Sobakevich's notes were complete and detailed. Chichikov thought about how each person passed away, building guesses in his imagination and playing out entire scenarios.

Chichikov went to court to certify all the documents, but there he was given to understand that without a bribe things would go on for a long time, and Chichikov would still have to stay in the city for a while. Sobakevich, who accompanied Chichikov, convinced the chairman of the legitimacy of the deal, while Chichikov said that he had bought the peasants for withdrawal to the Kherson province.

The chief of police, officials and Chichikov decided to complete the paperwork with dinner and a game of whist. Chichikov was cheerful and told everyone about his lands near Kherson.

Chapter 8

The whole city is talking about Chichikov's purchases: why do Chichikov need peasants? Did the landlords sell so many good peasants to the newcomer, and not thieves and drunkards? Will the peasants change in the new land?
The more rumors there were about Chichikov's wealth, the more they loved him. The ladies of the city of NN considered Chichikov a very attractive person. In general, the ladies of the city of N themselves were presentable, dressed with taste, were strict in morals, and all their intrigues remained secret.

Chichikov found an anonymous love letter which interested him immensely. At the reception, Pavel Ivanovich could not understand in any way which of the girls had written to him. The traveler was successful with the ladies, and was so carried away by secular talk that he forgot to approach the hostess. The governor was at a reception with her daughter, whose beauty Chichikov was captivated - not a single lady was interested in Chichikov anymore.

At the reception, Chichikov met Nozdryov, who, with his cheeky behavior and drunken conversations, put Chichikov in an uncomfortable position, so Chichikov was forced to leave the reception.

Chapter 9

The author introduces the reader to two ladies, friends, who met early in the morning. They talked about women's little things. Alla Grigorievna was partly a materialist, prone to denial and doubt. The ladies gossiped about the visitor. Sofya Ivanovna, the second woman, is unhappy with Chichikov, because he flirted with many ladies, and Korobochka even let slip about dead souls, adding to her story the story of how Chichikov deceived her by throwing 15 rubles in banknotes. Alla Grigoryevna suggested that, thanks to dead souls, Chichikov wants to impress the governor's daughter in order to steal her from her father's house. The ladies recorded Nozdryov as Chichikov's accomplices.

The city was buzzing: the question of dead souls worried everyone. The ladies discussed more the story of the kidnapping of the girl, supplementing it with all conceivable and inconceivable details, and the men discussed the economic side of the issue. All this led to the fact that Chichikov was not allowed on the threshold and was not invited to dinner anymore. Unfortunately, Chichikov was in the hotel all this time, because he was not lucky enough to get sick.

Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the city, in their assumptions, reached the point that they told the prosecutor about everything.

Chapter 10

Residents of the city gathered at the police chief. Everyone wondered who Chichikov was, where he came from and whether he was hiding from the law. The postmaster tells the story of Captain Kopeikin.

In this chapter, the story about Captain Kopeikin is included in the text of Dead Souls.

Captain Kopeikin had his arm and leg torn off during a military campaign in the 1920s. Kopeikin decided to ask the king for help. The man was amazed by the beauty of St. Petersburg and the high prices for food and housing. Kopeikin waited for the general's reception for about 4 hours, but he was asked to come later. The audience of Kopeikin and the governor was postponed several times, Kopeikin's faith in justice and the king each time became less and less. The man was running out of money for food, and the capital became disgusting because of pathos and spiritual emptiness. Captain Kopeikin decided to sneak into the reception room of the general in order to get an answer to his question for sure. He decided to stand there until the sovereign looked at him. The general instructed the courier to deliver Kopeikin to a new place, where he would be completely in the care of the state. Kopeikin, delighted, went with the courier, but no one else saw Kopeikin.

All those present admitted that Chichikov could not possibly be Captain Kopeikin, because Chichikov had all his limbs in place. Nozdryov told many different tales and, carried away, said that he personally came up with a plan to kidnap the governor's daughter.

Nozdryov went to visit Chichikov, who was still ill. The landowner told Pavel Ivanovich about the situation in the city and the rumors about Chichikov.

Chapter 11

In the morning, everything did not go according to plan: Chichikov woke up later than planned, the horses were not shod, the wheel was faulty. After a while, everything was ready.

On the way, Chichikov met a funeral procession - the prosecutor died. Further, the reader learns about Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov himself. Parents were nobles who had only one serf family. One day, the father took little Pavel with him to the city to send the child to a school. The father ordered his son to listen to teachers and please the bosses, not to make friends, save money. At the school, Chichikov was distinguished by diligence. From childhood, he understood how to increase money: he sold pies from the market to hungry classmates, trained a mouse to show tricks for a fee, sculpted wax figures.

Chichikov was in good standing. After some time, he moved his family to the city. Chichikov was attracted by a rich life, he actively tried to break into people, but with difficulty got into the state chamber. Chichikov did not hesitate to use people for his own purposes, he was not ashamed of such an attitude. After the incident with one old official, whose daughter Chichikov was even going to marry in order to get a position, Chichikov's career went up sharply. And that official talked for a long time about how Pavel Ivanovich deceived him.

He served in many departments, cunning and cheating everywhere, launched a whole campaign against corruption, although he himself was a bribe-taker. Chichikov took up construction, but a few years later the declared house was never built, but those who supervised the construction had new buildings. Chichikov engaged in smuggling, for which he was put on trial.

He started his career again from the lowest rung. He was engaged in handing over documents for peasants to the Board of Trustees, where he was paid for each peasant. But once Pavel Ivanovich was informed that even if the peasants died, but according to the record they are listed as alive, the money will still be paid. So Chichikov got the idea to buy up the dead in fact, but living according to the documents of the peasants, in order to sell their souls to the council of trustees.

Volume 2

The chapter begins with a description of nature and land belonging to Andrey Tentetnikov, a 33-year-old gentleman who mindlessly spends his time: he woke up late, washed himself for a long time, “he was not a bad person, he was just a smoker of the sky.” After a series of unsuccessful reforms aimed at improving the life of the peasants, he stopped communicating with others, completely dropped his hands, mired in the same infinity of everyday life.

Chichikov comes to Tentetnikov and, using his ability to find an approach to any person, stays with Andrei Ivanovich for a while. Chichikov was now more careful and delicate when it came to dead souls. Chichikov has not yet talked about this with Tentetnikov, but talking about marriage revived Andrei Ivanovich a little.

Chichikov goes to General Betrishchev, a man of majestic appearance, who combined many advantages and many shortcomings. Betrishchev introduces Chichikov to his daughter Ulenka, with whom Tentetnikov is in love. Chichikov joked a lot, with which he was able to achieve the location of the general. I take the opportunity, Chichikov composes a story about an old uncle who is obsessed with dead souls, but the general does not believe him, considering this to be another joke. Chichikov hurries to leave.

Pavel Ivanovich goes to Colonel Koshkarev, but ends up with Pyotr Petukh, who is caught completely naked while hunting for sturgeon. Upon learning that the estate was mortgaged, Chichikov wanted to leave, but here he meets the landowner Platonov, who talks about ways to increase wealth, which Chichikov is inspired by.

Colonel Koshkarev, who divided his lands into plots and manufactories, also had nothing to profit from, so Chichikov, accompanied by Platonov and Konstanzhoglo, goes to Kholobuev, who sells his estate for nothing. Chichikov gives a deposit for the estate, having borrowed the amount from Konstanzhglo and Platonov. In the house, Pavel Ivanovich expected to see empty rooms, but "he was struck by a mixture of poverty with the shiny trinkets of later luxury." Chichikov receives dead souls from his neighbor Leninsyn, having charmed him with the ability to tickle a child. The story is cut off.

It can be assumed that some time has passed since the purchase of the estate. Chichikov comes to the fair to buy fabric for a new suit. Chichikov meets Kholobuev. He is dissatisfied with the deception of Chichikov, because of which he almost lost his inheritance. Denunciations are found on Chichikov about the deception of Kholobuev and dead souls. Chichikov is arrested.

Murazov, a recent acquaintance of Pavel Ivanovich, a farmer who fraudulently amassed a million-dollar fortune, finds Pavel Ivanovich in the basement. Chichikov tears his hair out and mourns the loss of the box with securities: Chichikov was not allowed to dispose of many personal things, including the box, where there was enough money to give a deposit for himself. Murazov motivates Chichikov to live honestly, not to break the law and not to deceive people. It seems that his words were able to touch certain strings in the soul of Pavel Ivanovich. Officials who expect to receive a bribe from Chichikov confuse the case. Chichikov is leaving town.
 

Conclusion

"Dead Souls" shows a broad and truthful picture of the life of Russia in the second half of XIX century. Along with beautiful nature, picturesque villages, in which the originality of a Russian person is felt, greed, stinginess and a never-ending desire for profit are shown against the backdrop of space and freedom. The arbitrariness of the landowners, the poverty and lack of rights of the peasants, the hedonistic understanding of life, bureaucracy and irresponsibility - all this is depicted in the text of the work, as in a mirror. Meanwhile, Gogol believes in a brighter future, because it was not for nothing that the second volume was conceived as "the moral purification of Chichikov." It is in this work that Gogol's manner of reflecting reality is most clearly visible.

You have read only a brief retelling of "Dead Souls", for a more complete understanding of the work, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the full version.

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For more than a century and a half, interest in the amazing work written by N.V. Gogol has not disappeared. "Dead Souls" (a brief retelling of the chapters is given below) is a poem about modern Russia for the writer, its vices and shortcomings. Unfortunately, many things described in the first half of the 19th century by Nikolai Vasilyevich still exist, which makes the work relevant today.

Chapter 1. Acquaintance with Chichikov

A britzka drove into the provincial town of NN, in which a gentleman of ordinary appearance was sitting. She stopped at a tavern where she could rent a room for two rubles. Selifan, the coachman, and Petrushka, the footman, brought into the room a suitcase and a chest, whose appearance indicated that they were often on the road. So you can start a brief retelling of "Dead Souls".

Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the visitor - collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. He immediately went to the hall, where he ordered dinner and began to question the servant about local officials and landowners. And the next day, the hero paid visits to all important people in the city, including the governor. When meeting, Pavel Ivanovich reported that he was looking for a new place of residence for himself. He made a very pleasant impression, as he could flatter and show respect to everyone. As a result, Chichikov immediately received a lot of invitations: to a party with the governor and for tea with other officials.

A brief retelling of the first chapter of "Dead Souls" continues with a description of the reception at the mayor. The author gives an eloquent assessment of the high society of the city of NN, comparing the governor's guests with flies hovering over refined sugar. Gogol also notes that all men here, however, as elsewhere, were divided into "thin" and "thick" - he attributed the main character to the latter. The position of the former was unstable and unstable. But the latter, if they sit somewhere, then forever.

For Chichikov, the evening was beneficial: he met the wealthy landowners Manilov and Sobakevich and received an invitation from them to visit. Main question, which interested Pavel Ivanovich in a conversation with them, was about how many souls they have.

In the next few days, the visitor visited the officials and charmed all the noble inhabitants of the city.

Chapter 2

More than a week passed, and Chichikov finally decided to visit Manilov and Sobakevich.

A brief retelling of Chapter 2 of Dead Souls should begin with a description of the hero's servant. Petrushka was not talkative, but he liked to read. He also never undressed and wore his own special smell everywhere, which caused Chichikov's displeasure. This is what the author writes about him.

But back to the hero. He traveled quite a lot before he saw the Manilov estate. The two-story manor house stood alone on a turf-decorated jura. It was surrounded by shrubs, flower beds, a pond. Special attention attracted a pavilion with a strange inscription "Temple of solitary reflection." The peasant huts looked gray and neglected.

A brief retelling of "Dead Souls" continues with a description of the meeting of the host and guest. Smiling Manilov kissed Pavel Ivanovich and invited him into the house, which was just as unfurnished inside as the whole estate. So, one chair was not upholstered, and on the windowsill in the office the owner was laying out mounds of ashes from a pipe. The landowner kept dreaming about some projects that remained unrealized. At the same time, he did not notice that his economy was increasingly falling into decay.

Gogol especially notes Manilov's relationship with his wife: they cooed, trying to please each other in everything. The officials of the city were the most beautiful people for them. And they gave their children strange ancient names, and at dinner everyone tried to show their education. In general, talking about the landowner, the author emphasizes the following idea: so much sugariness emanated from the external appearance of the owner that the first impression of his attractiveness quickly changed. And by the end of the meeting, it already seemed that Manilov was neither one nor the other. This characterization of this hero is given by the author.

But let's continue with the shortest retelling. Dead souls soon became the subject of conversation between the guest and Manilov. Chichikov asked to sell him the dead peasants, who, according to the audit documents, were still considered alive. The owner was at first confused, and then gave them to the guest just like that. There was no way he could take money from such a good man.

Chapter 3

Saying goodbye to Manilov, Chichikov went to Sobakevich. But along the way, he got lost, got caught in the rain, and after dark ended up in some village. He was met by the hostess herself - Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka.

The hero slept well on a soft feather bed and, waking up, noticed his cleaned dress. Through the window, he saw many birds and strong peasant huts. The decor of the room and the behavior of the hostess testified to her frugality and economy.

During breakfast, Chichikov, without ceremony, started talking about the dead peasants. At first, Nastasya Petrovna did not understand how it was possible to sell a non-existent product. Then she was afraid to sell everything, saying that the business was new for her. The box was not as simple as it seemed at first, - a brief retelling of "Dead Souls" leads to such an idea. Chapter 3 ends with Chichikov promising the landowner to buy honey and hemp in the fall. After that, the guest and the hostess finally agreed on a price and concluded a bill of sale.

Chapter 4

The road was so washed out from the rain that by noon the carriage got out onto the pole. Chichikov decided to stop by the tavern, where he met Nozdryov. They met at the prosecutor's, and now the landowner behaved as if Pavel Ivanovich was his best friend. Having no way to get rid of Nozdryov, the hero went to his estate. You will learn about the trouble that came out there if you read the further brief retelling of Dead Souls.

Chapter 4 introduces the reader to the landowner, who has earned the fame of a brawler and instigator of scandals, a gambler and a money changer. "Svintus" and other similar words were common in his vocabulary. Not a single meeting with this man ended peacefully, and most of all went to people who had the misfortune to get to know him closely.

Upon arrival, Nozdryov took his son-in-law and Chichikov to look at the empty stalls, the kennel, and the fields. Our hero felt overwhelmed and disappointed. But the main thing was ahead. At dinner there was a quarrel, which was continued the next morning. As the shortest retelling shows, dead souls were the cause. When Chichikov started a conversation, for which he went to the landowners, Nozdryov easily promised to give him non-existent peasants. The guest was only required to buy from him a horse, a hurdy-gurdy and a dog. And in the morning the owner offered to play checkers for souls and began to cheat. Pavel Ivanovich, who discovered this, was almost beaten. It is difficult to describe how delighted he was at the appearance in the house of the police captain, who had come to arrest Nozdryov.

Chapter 5

On the way there was another trouble. The unreasonableness of Selifan caused Chichikov's carriage to collide with another cart, which was harnessed by six horses. The peasants who came running from the village took part in unraveling the horses. And the hero himself drew attention to a sweet blond young lady sitting in a stroller.

A brief retelling of Gogol's "Dead Souls" continues with a description of the meeting with Sobakevich, which finally took place. The village and the house that appeared before the eyes of the hero were great. Everything was good quality and durable. The landowner himself resembled a bear: both in appearance, and in gait, and in the color of his clothes. And all the objects in the house looked like the owner. Sobakevich was laconic. He ate a lot at dinner, and spoke negatively about the mayors.

He accepted the offer to sell dead souls calmly and immediately set a rather high price (two rubles and a half), since all the peasants were recorded with him and each of them had some special quality. The guest did not like it very much, but he accepted the conditions.

Then Pavel Ivanovich went to Plyushkin, whom he learned about from Sobakevich. According to the latter, his peasants were dying like flies, and the hero hoped to profitably acquire them. The correctness of this decision is confirmed by a brief retelling ("Dead Souls").

Chapter 6 patched

Such a nickname was given to the master by a peasant, whom Chichikov asked for directions. And appearance Plyushkin fully justified him.

Having passed through strange dilapidated streets, which spoke of the fact that there was once a strong economy here, the carriage stopped at the manor's invalid house. A certain creature was standing in the yard and quarreling with a peasant. It was impossible to immediately determine his gender and position. Seeing a bunch of keys on his belt, Chichikov decided that it was a housekeeper and ordered the owner to be called. What was his surprise when he found out: in front of him was one of the richest landowners in the district. In Plyushkin's appearance, Gogol draws attention to the lively shifty eyes.

A brief retelling of "Dead Souls" chapter by chapter allows us to note only the essential features of the landowners who became the heroes of the poem. Plyushkin is distinguished by the fact that the author tells the story of his life. Once he was a frugal and hospitable host. However, after the death of his wife, Plyushkin became more and more stingy. As a result, the son shot himself, as the father did not help pay the debts. One daughter ran away and was cursed, the other died. Over the years, the landowner turned into such a miser that he picked up all the garbage on the street. He and his household turned into rot. Gogol calls Plyushkin "a hole in humanity", the reason for which, unfortunately, can not be fully explained by a brief retelling.

Dead souls Chichikov bought from the landowner at a very favorable price for himself. It was enough to tell Plyushkin that this exempted him from paying duties for the peasants who had not existed for a long time, as he gladly agreed to everything.

Chapter 7. Paperwork

Chichikov, who returned to the city, woke up in the morning in good location spirit. He immediately rushed to review the lists of purchased souls. He was especially interested in the paper compiled by Sobakevich. The landowner gave a complete description of each peasant. Before the hero, the Russian peasants seem to come to life, in connection with which he indulges in reasoning about their difficult fate. Everyone, as a rule, has one fate - to pull the strap until the end of their days. Recollecting himself, Pavel Ivanovich got ready to go to the ward for paperwork.

A brief retelling of "Dead Souls" takes the reader into the world of officials. On the street Chichikov met Manilov, still as caring and good-natured. And in the ward, to his happiness, was Sobakevich. Pavel Ivanovich walked from one office to another for a long time and patiently explained the purpose of his visit. Finally, he gave a bribe, and the case was immediately completed. And the legend of the hero that he takes the peasants for export to the Kherson province did not raise questions from anyone. At the end of the day, everyone went to the chairman, where they drank to the health of the new landowner, wished him good luck and promised to find a bride.

Chapter 8

Rumors of a large purchase of peasants soon spread throughout the city, and Chichikov began to be considered a millionaire. Everywhere he was given signs of attention, especially since the hero, as a brief retelling of "Dead Souls" chapter by chapter shows, could easily endear people to him. However, the unexpected soon happened.

The governor gave a ball, and, of course, Pavel Ivanovich was in the center of attention. Now everyone wants to please him. Suddenly, the hero noticed the very young lady (she turned out to be the daughter of the governor), whom he met on the way from Korobochka to Nozdryov. Even at the first meeting, she charmed Chichikov. And now all the attention of the hero was drawn to the girl, which caused the anger of other ladies. They suddenly saw in Pavel Ivanovich a terrible enemy.

The second trouble that happened that day was that Nozdryov appeared at the ball and began to talk about the fact that Chichikov was buying up the souls of dead peasants. And although no one attached importance to his words, Pavel Ivanovich felt uncomfortable all evening and returned to his room ahead of time.

After the guest's departure, the box kept wondering if it was cheap. Exhausted, the landowner decided to go to the city to find out how much the dead peasants are selling now. The next chapter (its brief retelling) will tell about the consequences of this. "Dead Souls" Gogol continues with a description of how unsuccessfully events began to develop for the protagonist.

Chapter 9 Chichikov at the center of the scandal

The next morning, two ladies met: one is simply pleasant, the other is pleasant in every way. They discussed last news, the main of which was the story of Korobochka. Let's give a very brief retelling of it (this was directly related to dead souls).

According to the guest, the first lady, Nastasya Petrovna stopped at the house of her friend. It was she who told her about how the armed Pavel Ivanovich appeared at the estate at night and began to demand that the souls of the dead be sold to him. The second lady added that her husband had heard about such a purchase from Nozdryov. After discussing the incident, the women decided that all this was just a cover. The true goal of Chichikov is to kidnap the governor's daughter. They immediately shared their guess with the prosecutor who entered the room and went to the city. Soon all its inhabitants were divided into two halves. The ladies discussed the version of the kidnapping, and the men - the purchase of dead souls. The governor's wife ordered Chichikov's servants not to be allowed on the threshold. And the officials gathered at the police chief and tried to find an explanation for what had happened.

Chapter 10 The story of Kopeikin

We went over many options for who Pavel Ivanovich could be. Suddenly the postmaster exclaimed: "Captain Kopeikin!" And he told the story of the life of a mysterious man, about whom those present knew nothing. It is with her that we continue a brief retelling of the 10th chapter of Dead Souls.

In 1912, Kopeikin lost an arm and a leg in the war. He could not earn money himself, and therefore he went to the capital to ask for well-deserved help from the monarch. In St. Petersburg he stopped at a tavern, found a commission and began to wait for an appointment. The nobleman immediately noticed the disabled person and, having learned about his problem, advised him to come in a few days. The next time he assured me that soon everything would certainly be decided and a pension would be appointed. And at the third meeting, Kopeikin, who had not received anything, made a fuss and was expelled from the city. No one knew exactly where the disabled person was taken. But when a gang of robbers appeared in the Ryazan region, everyone decided that its leader was none other than ... Further, all the officials agreed that Chichikov could not be Kopeikin: he had both an arm and a leg in place. Someone suggested that Pavel Ivanovich was Napoleon. After some more discussion, the officials dispersed. And the prosecutor, having come home, died of shock. On this, a brief retelling of "Dead Souls" comes to an end.

All this time, the perpetrator of the scandal sat in the sick room and was surprised that no one was visiting him. Feeling a little better, he decided to go on visits. But the governor Pavel Ivanovich was not accepted, and the rest obviously avoided the meeting. Everything was explained by Nozdryov's arrival at the hotel. It was he who said that Chichikov was accused of preparing the kidnapping and making false banknotes. Pavel Ivanovich immediately ordered Petrushka and Selifan to prepare for their departure early in the morning.

Chapter 11

However, the hero woke up later than planned. Then Selifan declared that it was necessary. Finally, they set off and on the way they met a funeral procession - they were burying the prosecutor. Chichikov hid behind a curtain and secretly examined the officials. But they didn't even notice him. Now they were worried about something else: what would be the new governor-general. As a result, the hero decided that it was good to meet the funeral. And the carriage moved forward. And the author cites the life story of Pavel Ivanovich (hereinafter we will give a brief retelling of it). Dead souls (Chapter 11 points to this) came to Chichikov's head not by chance.

Pavlusha's childhood can hardly be called happy. His mother died early, and his father often punished him. Then Chichikov Sr. took his son to the city school and left him to live with a relative. At parting, he gave some advice. Please teachers. Be friends only with rich classmates. Do not treat anyone, but arrange everything so that they treat themselves. And most importantly - save a penny. Pavlusha fulfilled all the precepts of his father. To the fifty kopeck left at parting, he soon added his earned money. He conquered the teachers with diligence: no one could sit so roughly in the lessons as he did. And although he received a good certificate, he began to work from the bottom. In addition, after the death of his father, only a dilapidated house was inherited, which Chichikov sold for a thousand, and servants.

Having entered the service, Pavel Ivanovich showed incredible zeal: he worked a lot, slept in the office. At the same time, he always looked great and pleased everyone. Upon learning that the boss has a daughter, he began to look after her, and things even went to the wedding. But as soon as Chichikov was promoted, he moved out from the boss to another apartment, and soon everyone somehow forgot about the engagement. It was the most difficult step on the way to the goal. And the hero dreamed of great wealth and an important place in society.

When the fight against bribery began, Pavel Ivanovich made his first fortune. But he did everything through secretaries and clerks, so he himself remained clean and earned a reputation with the leadership. Thanks to this, he was able to settle down for construction - instead of the planned buildings, officials, including the hero, got new houses. But here Chichikov failed: the arrival of a new boss deprived him of both his position and his fortune.

Career began to build from the very beginning. Miraculously got to customs - a fertile place. Thanks to his diligence and servility, he achieved a lot. But suddenly he quarreled with a fellow official (they did business with smugglers together), and he wrote a denunciation. Pavel Ivanovich was again left with nothing. He managed to hide only ten thousand and two servants.

The way out of the situation was suggested by the secretary of the office, in which Chichikov, on duty of the new service, was supposed to mortgage the estate. When it came to the number of peasants, the official remarked: “They have died, but they are still on the revision lists. Some will not be, others will be born - everything is good for business. It was then that the idea came to buy dead souls. It will be difficult to prove that there are no peasants: Chichikov purchased them for export. For this, he also acquired land in the Kherson province in advance. And the board of trustees will give two hundred rubles for every registered soul. Here is the state. So the reader is revealed the intention of the protagonist and the essence of all his actions. The main thing is to be careful, and everything will work out. The carriage rushed on, and Chichikov, who loved fast driving, only smiled.