What Gogol laughs about and what is sad about in the poem "Dead Souls"
Writer's biography N.V. Gogol lasted 23 years, 17 of which he devoted to the work on the poem "Dead Souls". The work was difficult to write and became the main business of the writer's life. The author sets himself the task of creating a book about man, humanity and Russia.
A citizen writer, which, of course, was N.V. Gogol, could not indifferently look at the shortcomings and vices of society, at the impoverishment of the spiritual life of the nobles, his contemporaries.
So what is the writer laughing at and what is he sad about?
First of all, Gogol's satire is directed against stupidity, tyranny and other shortcomings that struck the Russian nobles. Nozdrev, Manilov, Sobakevich, Korobochka, Plyushkin - all these characters personify the main human vices: stupidity, greed, carelessness, laziness, worthlessness, rudeness, unwillingness to develop spiritually. In each hero of the poem, one of these qualities predominates, therefore the images are grotesque, you can hardly meet such people in real life, but you often see individual features in our days.
Much space in the poem is given to the life and customs of a provincial town. Here the reader is immersed in the world of petty selfish interests, gossip, insincere relationships. The city is filled with a mass of worthless people, whose main desire is to live in warmth and peace, to enjoy influence among their own kind. They are divided not into smart and stupid, cruel and merciful, but into influential and insignificant, rich and poor, bosses and subordinates.
The theme of a provincial town is closely related to criticism of Russian officials. Adventurer Chichikov, having arrived in the city, immediately tries to please the city officials. To do this, he pays them visits, posing as a rich and influential person. Playing by their rules, he immediately becomes his own. Well, of course, it is not complete without bribes. All the stupidity of officials manifests itself when they learn that Chichikov is not who he claims to be. Assumptions are made one more absurd than the other, logic is completely absent in them.
Chichikov deserves special attention, because it is this character that helps to reveal the main theme of the work. At first glance, there is nothing wrong with him. He does not stand out in any way outwardly: neither thick nor thin, not tall, not short, looks solid, but not defiant. Chichikov very easily adjusts to the situation, finds a common language with any person and goes to his goal slowly but surely. In the world of stupid and self-righteous people, he feels absolutely free, easily deserves recognition and trust. He behaves in such a way that none of the landowners, except for the "club-headed" Korobochka, is surprised by the absurd offer to buy dead souls from them. Officials, seeing him for the first time, do not doubt his decency.
Landowners, officials, city dwellers are mercilessly ridiculed in the poem. But the attentive reader will understand that this is laughter through tears. The playful tone, witticisms, funny descriptions were chosen by Gogol as a struggle against existing shortcomings. It hurts the author to see the vices that mortify the soul of the Russian person, the arbitrariness that is happening in society.
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| Category: 9 grade | Added by: 05.09.2020 |
| Views: 175 | Rating: 0.0/0 |
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