Dead living souls in the poem. An essay in miniature on the theme of the souls of the dead and the living in N.V. Gogol's poem dead souls

Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" is one of the best works world literature. The writer worked on the creation of this poem for 17 years, but never completed his plan. "Dead Souls" is the result of many years of Gogol's observations and reflections on human destinies, the fate of Russia.
The title of the work - "Dead Souls" - contains its main meaning. This poem describes both the dead revisionist souls of serfs, and dead Souls landlords, buried under the insignificant interests of life. But it is interesting that the first, formally dead, souls turn out to be more alive than the breathing and talking landlords.
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, carrying out his brilliant scam, visits the estates of the provincial nobility. This gives us the opportunity "in all its glory" to see the "living dead".
The first person Chichikov pays a visit to is the landowner Manilov. Behind the outward pleasantness, even the sweetness of this gentleman, is hidden senseless daydreaming, inactivity, idle talk, false love for the family and peasants. Manilov considers himself educated, noble, educated. But what do we see when we look into his office? A dusty book that has been open on the same page for two years.
Something is always missing in Manilov's house. So, in the study, only part of the furniture is covered with silk, and two chairs are covered with matting. The economy is managed by a "dexterous" clerk who ruins both Manilov and his peasants. This landowner is distinguished by idle daydreaming, inactivity, limited mental abilities and vital interests. And this is despite the fact that Manilov seems to be an intelligent and cultured person.
The second estate that Chichikov visited was the estate of the landowner Korobochka. It is also "dead soul". The soullessness of this woman lies in the amazingly petty interests of life. Apart from the price of hemp and honey, Korobochka cares little. Even on sale dead souls the landowner is only afraid to sell cheap. Everything that goes beyond her meager interests simply does not exist. She tells Chichikov that she does not know any Sobakevich, and, consequently, he does not exist in the world.
In search of the landowner Sobakevich, Chichikov runs into Nozdryov. Gogol writes about this "merry fellow" that he was gifted with all possible "enthusiasm". At first glance, Nozdryov seems to be a lively and active person, but in fact he turns out to be completely empty. His amazing energy is directed only to revelry and senseless extravagance. Added to this is the passion for lies. But the lowest and most disgusting thing in this hero is "the passion to spoil one's neighbor." This is the type of people "who will start with a satin stitch and finish with a reptile." But Nozdryov, one of the few landowners, even evokes sympathy and pity. The only pity is that he directs his indomitable energy and love for life into an "empty" channel.
The next landowner on Chichikov's path is, finally, Sobakevich. He seemed to Pavel Ivanovich "very similar to a medium-sized bear." Sobakevich is a kind of "fist", which nature "simply chopped from the whole shoulder." Everything in the guise of the hero and his house is thorough, detailed and large-scale. The furniture in the landlord's house is as heavy as the owner. Each of Sobakevich's objects seems to say: "And I, too, Sobakevich!"
Sobakevich is a zealous owner, he is prudent, prosperous. But he does everything only for himself, only in the name of his interests. For their sake, Sobakevich will go to any fraud and other crime. All his talent went only into the material, completely forgetting about the soul.
The gallery of landowners' "dead souls" is completed by Plyushkin, whose soullessness has taken on completely inhuman forms. Gogol tells us the background of this hero. Once Plyushkin was an enterprising and hardworking owner. Neighbors came to him to learn "stingy wisdom." But after the death of his wife, the suspicion and stinginess of the hero intensified to the highest degree.
This landowner has accumulated huge stocks of "good". Such reserves would be enough for several lives. But he, not content with this, walks every day in his village and collects all the rubbish that he puts in his room. Senseless hoarding led Plyushkin to the fact that he himself feeds on leftovers, and his peasants "die like flies" or run away.
The gallery of "dead souls" in the poem is continued by the images of the officials of the city of N. Gogol draws them as a single faceless mass, mired in bribes and corruption. Sobakevich gives the officials an angry, but very accurate description: "A scammer sits on a scammer and drives a scammer." Officials mess around, cheat, steal, offend the weak and tremble before the strong.
At the news of the appointment of a new governor-general, the inspector of the medical board feverishly thinks of the patients who died in significant numbers from a fever, against which proper measures were not taken. The chairman of the chamber turns pale at the thought that he has made a bill of sale for dead peasant souls. And the prosecutor generally came home and suddenly died. What sins were behind his soul that he was so frightened?
Gogol shows us that the life of officials is empty and meaningless. They are just smokers of air, who have wasted their precious lives on slander and fraud.
Near " dead souls» bright images arise in the poem ordinary people who are the embodiment of the ideals of spirituality, courage, love of freedom, talent. These are the images of the dead and fugitive peasants, primarily the men of Sobakevich: the miracle worker Mikheev, the shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov, the hero Stepan Cork, the stove-maker Milushkin. Also, this is the fugitive Abakum Fyrov, the peasants of the rebellious villages Vshivaya-arrogance, Borovka and Zadiraylova.
It was the people, according to Gogol, who retained in themselves " living soul”, national and human identity. Therefore, it is with the people that he connects the future of Russia. The writer planned to write about this in the continuation of his work. but he couldn't, he couldn't. We can only guess about his thoughts.

Souls "dead" and "alive" in N.V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls"

When publishing Dead Souls, Gogol wished to arrange title page. It depicted Chichikov's carriage, symbolizing the path of Russia, and around - a lot of human skulls. The publication of this particular title page was very important for Gogol, just as the fact that his book was published simultaneously with Ivanov's painting "The Appearance of Christ to the People." The theme of life and death, rebirth runs like a red thread through Gogol's work. Gogol saw his task in correcting and directing human hearts to the true path, and these attempts were made through the theater, in civic activities, teaching, and, finally, in creativity.

There is an opinion that Gogol conceived to create the poem "Dead Souls" by analogy with Dante's poem " The Divine Comedy". This determined the proposed three-part composition of the future work. "The Divine Comedy" consists of three parts: "Hell", "Purgatory" and "Paradise", which were supposed to correspond to the three volumes of "Dead Souls" conceived by Gogol. In the first volume, Gogol sought to show the terrible Russian reality, to recreate "hell" modern life. In the second and third volumes, Gogol wanted to portray the rebirth of Russia. Gogol saw himself as a writer-preacher, who, painting on the pages of his work a picture of the revival of Russia, brings it out of the crisis.

The artistic space of the first volume of the poem consists of two worlds: the real world, where the main character is Chichikov, and the ideal world of lyrical digressions, where the main character is the narrator.

“I want to show in this novel, at least from one side, all of Rus',” he writes to Pushkin. Explaining the idea of "Dead Souls", Gogol wrote that the images of the poem are "not at all portraits of insignificant people, on the contrary, they contain the features of those who consider themselves better than others." Perhaps that is why the concept of "dead souls" in Gogol's poem constantly changes its meaning, moving from one to another: these are not only dead serfs, whom the swindler Chichikov decided to buy, but also spiritually dead landowners and officials.

"Dead Souls" is a synthesis of all possible ways struggle for the souls of men. The work contains both direct pathos and teachings, as well as an artistic sermon, illustrated by the image of the dead souls themselves - landowners and city officials. Lyrical digressions also give the work the meaning of an artistic sermon and sum up the terrible pictures of life and life depicted in a peculiar way. Appealing to all mankind as a whole and considering the ways of spiritual resurrection, revival, Gogol in digressions indicates that "darkness and evil are not in the social shells of the people, but in the spiritual core" (N. Berdyaev). The subject of the writer's study is human souls, depicted in terrible pictures of "inappropriate" life.

The main theme of the poem-novel is the theme of the present and future fate Russia, its present and future. Passionately believing in a better future for Russia, Gogol mercilessly debunked the "masters of life", who considered themselves the bearers of high historical wisdom and creators of spiritual values. The images drawn by the writer testify to the exact opposite: the heroes of the poem are not only insignificant, they are the embodiment of moral deformity.

The plot of the poem is quite simple: main character, Chichikov, a born swindler and a dirty businessman, opens up the possibility of profitable deals with dead souls, that is, with those serfs who have already gone to another world, but were still among the living. He decides to buy dead souls on the cheap and for this purpose goes to one of the county towns. As a result, readers are presented with a whole gallery of images of landowners, whom Chichikov visits in order to bring his plan to life. Story line works - the purchase and sale of dead souls - allowed the writer not only to show unusually vividly inner world actors, but also to characterize their typical features, the spirit of the era.

With great expressiveness in the "portrait" chapters, a picture of the decline of the landlord class is given. From the idle dreamer, living in the world of his dreams, Manilov, to the "club-headed" Korobochka, from her - to the reckless spendthrift, liar and sharper Nozdrev, then to the "real bear" Sobakevich, then - to the skeletal fist Plyushkin, Gogol leads us, showing us everything greater moral decline and decay of the representatives of the landlord world. The poem turns into a brilliant denunciation of serfdom, the class that is the arbiter of the fate of the state.

Gogol does not show any internal development of the landlords and residents of the city, this allows us to conclude that the souls of the heroes real world The "Dead Souls" are completely frozen and petrified that they are dead. Gogol portrays the landlords and officials with malicious irony, shows them funny, but at the same time very scary. After all, these are not people, but only a pale, ugly likeness of people. There is nothing human left in them. The deadly fossil of souls, absolute lack of spirituality is hidden both behind the measured life of the landowners and the convulsive activity of the city. Gogol wrote about the city of "Dead Souls": "The idea of the city, which arose to the highest degree. Emptiness. Empty talk... Death strikes the untouched world. Meanwhile, the dead insensibility of life must appear to the reader even more strongly.

The gallery of portraits of landlords opens with the image of Manilov. “In his eyes, he was a prominent person; his features were not devoid of pleasantness, but this pleasantness seemed to have been transferred too much sugar; in his manners and turns there was something ingratiating himself with favors and acquaintances. He smiled enticingly, was blond, with blue eyes. Previously, he "served in the army, where he was considered the most modest, most delicate and most educated officer." Living on the estate, he "sometimes comes to the city ... to see the most educated people." Against the background of the inhabitants of the city and estates, he seems to be "a very courteous and courteous landowner", on which lies some kind of imprint of a "semi-enlightened" environment. However, revealing the inner appearance of Manilov, his character, talking about his attitude to the economy and pastime, drawing Manilov's reception of Chichikov, Gogol shows the utter emptiness and worthlessness of this "existent".

The writer emphasizes in the character of Manilov his sugary, senseless daydreaming. Manilov had no living interests. He did not take care of the household, entrusting it to the clerk. He didn't even know if his peasants had died since the last revision. Instead of the shady garden that usually surrounded the manor's house, Manilov has "only five or six birches ..." with liquid tops.

Manilov spends his life in idleness. He has retired from all work, he does not even read anything: for two years a book has been lying in his office, all laid down on the same 14th page. Manilov brightens up his idleness with groundless dreams and meaningless "projects" (projects), such as building an underground passage in a house, stone bridge across the pond. Instead of a real feeling - Manilov has a “pleasant smile”, instead of a thought - some incoherent, stupid reasoning, instead of activity - empty dreams.

Manilov himself admires and is proud of his manners and considers himself extremely spiritual and an educated person. However, during his conversation with Chichikov, it becomes clear that this person's involvement in culture is just an appearance, the pleasantness of manners smacks of cloying, and behind the flowery phrases there is nothing but stupidity. It turned out to be easy for Chichikov to convince Manilov of the benefits of his enterprise: all he had to do was say that this was done in the public interest and quite in line with “further views of Russia,” since Manilov considers himself a person who guards public welfare.

From Manilov, Chichikov goes to Korobochka, which, perhaps, is the exact opposite of the previous hero. Unlike Manilov, Korobochka is characterized by the absence of any claims to higher culture and some kind of "simplicity". The absence of "splendor" is emphasized by Gogol even in the portrait of Korobochka: she has too unattractive, shabby appearance. The “simplicity” of Korobochka is also reflected in her relationships with people. “Oh, my father,” she turns to Chichikov, “yes, like a boar, your whole back and side are covered in mud!” All Korobochka's thoughts and desires are centered around the economic strengthening of her estate and unceasing accumulation. She is not an inactive dreamer, like Manilov, but a sober acquirer, always swarming around her home. But Korobochka's thriftiness reveals precisely her inner insignificance. Acquisitive impulses and aspirations fill the entire consciousness of the Box, leaving no room for any other feelings. She seeks to benefit from everything, from household trifles to bargain sale serfs, who are for her, first of all, property, which she has the right to dispose of as she pleases. She is bargaining, trying to raise the price, to get a big profit. It is much more difficult for Chichikov to agree with her: she is indifferent to any of his arguments, since the main thing for her is to benefit herself. It’s not for nothing that Chichikov calls Korobochka a “clubhead”: this epithet characterizes her very aptly. The combination of a closed way of life with rough money-grubbing determines the extreme spiritual poverty of Korobochka.

Further - again the contrast: from Korobochka - to Nozdryov. In contrast to the petty and mercenary Korobochka, Nozdryov is distinguished by violent prowess and a “wide” scope of nature. He is extremely active, agile and playful. Without hesitation for a moment, Nozdryov is ready to do any business, that is, everything that for some reason comes to his mind: “At that very moment he suggested that you go anywhere, even to the ends of the world, enter into whatever enterprise you want, change whatever you have for whatever you want." Nozdryov's energy is devoid of any purpose. He easily starts and quits any of his ventures, immediately forgetting about him. Its ideal is people who live noisily and cheerfully, without burdening themselves with any daily worries. Wherever Nozdryov appears, a mess is started and scandals arise. Boasting and lying are the main features of Nozdryov's character. He is inexhaustible in his lies, which have become so organic for him that he lies without even feeling any need for it. With all his acquaintances, he keeps on a short leg, he considers everyone his friend, but he never remains true to his words or relationships. After all, it was he who subsequently debunked his “friend” Chichikov in front of the provincial society.

Sobakevich is one of those people who stands firmly on the ground, soberly assesses both life and people. When necessary, Sobakevich knows how to act and achieve what he wants. Describing the everyday way of life of Sobakevich, Gogol emphasizes that here everything "was stubborn, without shaking." Solidity, strength distinctive features both Sobakevich himself and his everyday environment. However, the physical strength of both Sobakevich and his way of life is combined with some kind of ugly clumsiness. Sobakevich looks like a bear, and this comparison is not only external character: the animal principle prevails in the nature of Sobakevich, who does not have any spiritual needs. In his firm conviction, the only important matter there can only be concern for one's own existence. Saturation of the stomach determines the content and meaning of his life. He considers enlightenment not only an unnecessary, but also a harmful invention: “They interpret it - enlightenment, enlightenment, and this enlightenment is bang! I would have said a different word, but that's just indecent at the table. Sobakevich is prudent and practical, but, unlike Korobochka, he understands the environment well, knows people. This is a cunning and impudent businessman, and Chichikov had a rather difficult time with him. Before he had time to utter a word about the purchase, Sobakevich had already offered him a deal with dead souls, and he had broken the price as if it were a question of selling real serfs. Practical acumen distinguishes Sobakevich from other landowners depicted in Dead Souls. He knows how to settle down in life, but it is in this capacity that his base feelings and aspirations are manifested with particular force.

However, the image of Sobakevich, it turns out, does not yet exhaust the measure of the fall of man. Pettiness, insignificance, social ugliness reach their ultimate expression in the image of Plyushkin, who completes portrait gallery local owners. This is a "hole in humanity". Everything human has died in him, in the full sense of the word it is a dead soul. Gogol leads us to this conclusion, developing and deepening the theme of the spiritual death of man. The village huts of the village of Plyushkina have the appearance of "especially dilapidated", the manor house looks like a "disabled person", the log pavement has fallen into disrepair. And what is the owner? Against the backdrop of a miserable village, a strange figure appeared before Chichikov: either a peasant, or a woman, in "an indefinite dress, similar to a woman's hood", so torn, oily and worn out that "if Chichikov had met him, so dressed up, somewhere at the church doors, he would probably give him a copper penny.

But it was not a beggar who stood before Chichikov, but a rich landowner, the owner of a thousand souls, whose pantries, barns and dryers were full of all sorts of goods. However, all this goodness rotted, deteriorated, turned into dust. Plyushkin's relationship with buyers, his walking around the village collecting all sorts of rubbish, the famous heaps of rubbish on his desk and on the bureau expressively speak of how Plyushkin's miserliness leads to senseless hoarding, bringing only ruin to his household. Everything has fallen into complete decline, the peasants are "dying like flies", dozens are on the run. The senseless stinginess that reigns in Plyushkin's soul gives rise to suspicion of people, distrust and hostility to everything around him, cruelty and injustice towards serfs.

Has he always been like this? No. This is the only character whose soul died only over time, withered due to some circumstances. The chapter on Plyushkin begins with a lyrical digression, which was not the case when describing any landowner. A lyrical digression immediately sets the readers up to the fact that this chapter is significant and important for the narrator. The narrator does not remain indifferent and indifferent to his hero: in lyrical digressions (there are two of them in Chapter VI), he expresses his bitterness from the realization of the extent to which a person could sink.

The image of Plyushkin stands out for its dynamism among the static heroes of the real world of the poem. From the narrator, we learn what Plyushkin used to be, and how his soul gradually hardened and hardened. In the history of Plushkin we see life tragedy. At the mention of a school friend, Plyushkin's face "slid some warm beam, it was not a feeling that was expressed, but some kind of pale reflection of a feeling. So, after all, Plyushkin's soul has not yet completely died, which means that there is still something human left in it. Plyushkin's eyes were also alive, not yet extinguished, "running from under high-growing eyebrows like mice." Chapter VI contains detailed description Plyushkin's garden, neglected, overgrown and decayed, but alive. The garden is a kind of metaphor for Plyushkin's soul. There are two churches on the Plyushkin estate alone. Of all the landowners, only Plyushkin pronounces internal monologue after Chichikov's departure. In this, Plyushkin differs from all other landowners shown by Gogol.

All the landowners, so vividly and ruthlessly shown by Gogol, as well as central character poems are living people. But can you say the same about them? Can their souls be called alive? Haven't their vices and base motives killed everything human in them? The change of images from Manilov to Plyushkin reveals an ever-increasing spiritual impoverishment, an ever-increasing moral decline of the owners of serf souls. Calling his work "Dead Souls", Gogol had in mind not only the dead serfs, whom Chichikov was chasing, but also all the living heroes of the poem, who had long since become dead.

The second and no less important reason for the mortification of souls according to Gogol is revealed - this is the rejection of God. "Every road must lead to the temple." On the way, Chichikov did not meet a single church. “What twisted and inscrutable paths mankind has chosen,” exclaims Gogol. The road of Russia seems to him terrible, full of falls, swamp fires and temptations. But still, this is the road to the Temple, for in the chapter on Plyushkin we meet two churches; the transition to the second volume is being prepared - Purgatory from the first - infernal. This transition is blurred and fragile, just as Gogol deliberately blurred in the first volume of the antithesis "living - dead." Gogol deliberately blurs the boundaries between the living and the dead, and this antithesis takes on metaphorical meaning. Chichikov's enterprise appears before us as a kind of crusade.

The hero of the real world of the poem, possessing a soul, is Chichikov. It is in Chichikovo that the unpredictability and inexhaustibility of a living soul is most strongly shown, even if God knows how rich, albeit impoverished, but alive. Chapter XI is devoted to the history of Chichikov's soul, it shows the development of his character. After all, it was Chichikov who had to cleanse himself and move from "Hell" to "Purgatory" and "Paradise".

Thus, in the first volume of Dead Souls, Gogol depicts all the shortcomings, all negative sides Russian reality. Gogol shows people what their souls have become. He does this because he passionately loves Russia and hopes for its revival. Gogol wanted people, after reading his poem, to be horrified by their lives and wake up from a deadly sleep. This is the task of the first volume. Describing the terrible reality, Gogol draws to us in lyrical digressions his ideal of the Russian people, speaks of the living, immortal soul of Russia. In the second and third volumes of his work, Gogol planned to transfer this ideal to real life. But, unfortunately, he was never able to show a revolution in the soul of a Russian person, he could not revive dead souls. This was the creative tragedy of Gogol, which grew into the tragedy of his whole life.

Who are the "dead souls" in the poem?

“Dead Souls” - this title carries something terrifying ... Not revisionists - dead souls, but all these Nozdrevs, Manilovs and others - these are dead souls and we meet them at every step, ”wrote Herzen.

In this meaning, the expression "dead souls" is no longer addressed to the peasants - living and dead - but to the masters of life, landowners and officials. And its meaning is metaphorical, figurative. After all, physically, financially, “all these Nozdrevs, Manilovs and others” exist and for the most part flourish. What can be more certain than the bear-like Sobakevich? Or Nozdryov, about whom it is said: “He was like blood with milk; health seemed to spurt from his face. But physical being is not yet human life. Vegetative existence is far from true spiritual movements. "Dead souls" denote in this case deadness, soullessness. And this lack of spirituality manifests itself in at least two ways. First of all, it is the absence of any interests, passions. Remember what is said about Manilov? “You won’t expect any lively or even arrogant words from him, which you can hear from almost anyone if you touch the subject that bullies him. Everyone has his own, but Manilov had nothing. Most hobbies or passions cannot be called high or noble. But Manilov did not have such passion either. He didn't have anything at all. And the main impression that Manilov made on his interlocutor was a feeling of uncertainty and "mortal boredom."

Other characters - landowners and officials - are far from being so impassive. For example, Nozdrev and Plyushkin have their own passions. Chichikov also has his own "enthusiasm" - the enthusiasm of "acquisition". And many other characters have their own "bullying object", setting in motion a wide variety of passions: greed, ambition, curiosity, and so on.

So, in this respect, "dead souls" are dead in different ways, to different degrees and, so to speak, in different doses. But in another respect they are dead in the same way, without distinction or exception.

Dead soul! This phenomenon seems contradictory in itself, composed of mutually exclusive concepts. Can there be a dead soul dead man, that is, that which by its nature is animate and spiritual? Can't live, shouldn't exist. But it exists.

A certain form remains from life, from a person - a shell, which, however, regularly sends vital functions. And here another meaning of Gogol's image of "dead souls" is revealed to us: dead souls of the revision, that is, symbol dead peasants. Revision dead souls are concrete, reviving faces of peasants who are treated as if they were not people. And the dead in spirit - all these Manilovs, Nozdrevs, landowners and officials, a dead form, a soulless system of human relationships ...

All these are facets of one Gogol concept - "dead souls", artistically realized in his poem. And the facets are not isolated, but make up a single, infinitely deep image.

Following his hero, Chichikov, moving from one place to another, the writer leaves no hope of finding such people who would carry the beginning of a new life and rebirth. The goals that Gogol and his hero set for themselves are diametrically opposed in this respect. Chichikov is interested in dead souls in the literal and figurative sense of the word - revisionist dead souls and people who are dead in spirit. And Gogol is looking for a living soul in which a spark of humanity and justice burns.

Who are the "living souls" in the poem?

The "dead souls" of the poem are opposed to the "living" people - talented, hardworking, long-suffering people. With a deep sense of patriotism and faith in the great future of his people, Gogol writes about him. He saw the lack of rights of the peasantry, its humiliated position and the stupidity and savagery that were the result of serfdom. Such are Uncle Mityai and Uncle Minyay, the serf girl Pelageya, who did not distinguish between right and left, Plyushkin's Proshka and Mavra, beaten to the extreme. But even in this social depression, Gogol saw the living soul of the “brisk people” and the quickness of the Yaroslavl peasant. He speaks with admiration and love of the ability of the people, courage and prowess, endurance and thirst for freedom. Fortress hero, carpenter Cork "would fit into the guard." He walked with an ax in his belt and boots on his shoulders all over the provinces. The carriage maker Mikhey created carriages of extraordinary strength and beauty. The stove maker Milushkin could put a stove in any house. Talented shoemaker Maxim Telyatnikov - "what pricks with an awl, then boots, that boots, then thanks." And Yeremey Sorokoplekhin “brought five hundred rubles a quitrent!” Here is Plyushkin's fugitive serf Abakum Fyrov. His soul could not stand the yoke of bondage, he was drawn to the wide expanse of the Volga, he "walks noisily and cheerfully on the grain pier, having contracted with merchants." But it is not easy for him to walk with barge haulers, "dragling a strap under one endless song, like Rus'." In the songs of barge haulers, Gogol heard an expression of longing and the desire of the people for a different life, for a wonderful future. Behind the bark of lack of spirituality, callousness, dead things, living forces are fighting folk life- and here and there they make their way to the surface in the living Russian word, in the fun of barge haulers, in the movement of Rus'-troika - the key to the future revival of the motherland.

An ardent faith in the hidden until the time, but the immense strength of the whole people, love for the motherland, allowed Gogol to brilliantly foresee its great future.

When publishing Dead Souls, Gogol wished to design the title page himself. It depicted Chichikov's carriage, symbolizing the path of Russia, and around - a lot of human skulls. The publication of this particular title page was very important for Gogol, just as the fact that his book was published simultaneously with Ivanov's painting "The Appearance of Christ to the People." The theme of life and death, rebirth runs like a red thread through Gogol's work. Gogol saw his task in correcting and directing human hearts to the true path, and these attempts were made through the theater, in civic activities, teaching, and, finally, in creativity.
There is an opinion that Gogol decided to create the poem "Dead Souls" by analogy with Dante's poem "The Divine Comedy". This determined the proposed three-part composition of the future work. "The Divine Comedy" consists of three parts: "Hell", "Purgatory" and "Paradise", which were supposed to correspond to the three volumes of "Dead Souls" conceived by Gogol. In the first volume, Gogol sought to show the terrible Russian reality, to recreate the "hell" of modern life. In the second and third volumes, Gogol wanted to portray the rebirth of Russia. Gogol saw himself as a writer-preacher, who, painting on the pages of his work a picture of the revival of Russia, brings it out of the crisis.

"Dead Souls" is a synthesis of all possible ways of fighting for human souls. The work contains both direct pathos and teachings, as well as an artistic sermon, illustrated by the image of the dead souls themselves - landowners and city officials. Lyrical digressions also give the work the meaning of an artistic sermon and sum up the terrible pictures of life and life depicted in a peculiar way. Appealing to all mankind as a whole and considering the paths of spiritual resurrection, revival, Gogol in lyrical digressions points out that "darkness and evil are not in the social shells of the people, but in the spiritual core" (N. Berdyaev). The subject of the writer's study is human souls, depicted in terrible pictures of "inappropriate" life.

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At the beginning of work on the poem, N.V. Gogol wrote to V.A. Zhukovsky: "What a huge, what an original plot! What a diverse bunch! All Rus' will appear in it." So Gogol himself defined the scope of his work - all of Rus'. And the writer was able to show in its entirety both negative and positive aspects of life in Russia of that era. Gogol's idea was grandiose: like Dante, to portray the path of Chichikov, first in "hell" - I volume of "Dead Souls", then "in purgatory" - II volume of "Dead Souls" and "in paradise" - Volume III. But this plan was not carried out to the end, only Volume I, in which Gogol shows the negative aspects of Russian life, reached the reader in full.

In Korobochka, Gogol presents us with another type of Russian landowner. Household, hospitable, hospitable, she suddenly becomes "club-headed" in the scene of the sale of dead souls, afraid to sell too cheap. This is the type of person on his mind.

In Nozdryov, Gogol showed a different form of decomposition of the nobility. The writer shows us two essences of Nozdryov: at first he is an open, daring, direct face. But then you have to make sure that Nozdryov's sociability is an indifferent familiarity with everyone you meet and cross, his liveliness is an inability to concentrate on some serious subject or business, his energy is a waste of energy in carousing and debauchery. His main passion, according to the writer himself, is "to spoil your neighbor, sometimes for no reason at all."

Sobakevich is akin to Korobochka. He, like her, is a hoarder. Only unlike Korobochka, this is a smart and cunning hoarder. He manages to deceive Chichikov himself. Sobakevich is rude, cynical, uncouth; No wonder he is compared with an animal (bear). By this Gogol emphasizes the degree of man's savagery, the degree of necrosis of his soul. Plyushkin completes this gallery of "dead souls". It's eternal in classical literature the image of a miser. Plyushkin is an extreme degree of economic, social and moral decay of the human personality.

Provincial officials adjoin the gallery of landlords, who are essentially "dead souls".

Who can we call living souls in the poem, and do they exist? I think Gogol did not intend to oppose the life of the peasantry to the suffocating atmosphere of the life of officials and landlords. On the pages of the poem, the peasants are far from being depicted in pink colors. The footman Petrushka sleeps without undressing and "always carries with him some special smell." The coachman Selifan is not a fool to drink. But it is precisely for the peasants that Gogol has both kind words and a warm intonation when he speaks, for example, of Pyotr Neumyvay-Koryto, Ivan Koleso, Stepan Probka, and the resourceful peasant Yeremey Sorokoplekhin. These are all the people whose fate the author thought about and asked the question: "What have you, my hearts, been doing in your lifetime? How did you survive?"

But there is at least something bright in Rus', not susceptible to corrosion under any circumstances, there are people who make up the "salt of the earth." Did Gogol himself come from somewhere, this genius of satire and singer of the beauty of Rus'? Eat! Must be! Gogol believes in this, and therefore at the end of the poem appears artistic image Rus'-troika, rushing into the future, in which there will be no nostrils, plushies. A trio bird rushes forward. "Rus, where are you going? Give me an answer. Doesn't give an answer."