How Sobakevich treats peasants. Composition on the topic: Sobakevich
Mikhailo Semyonovich Sobakevich - one of the landowners of Gogol's poem "Dead Souls", to whom he went main character. After visiting Nozdryov, Chichikov goes to Sobakevich. Everything in his house looks awkward, there is no symmetry.
In appearance, Sobakevich is a man resembling a bear and a dog. The way the landlord's dwelling is equipped gives the impression that Sobakevich is a good owner, his peasants do not need food and clothes at all.
Sobakevich is guided by monetary calculation, but at the same time he is not at all stupid. His prudence makes him businesslike, but at the same time he remains ponderous, uncouth and rude. The need for money lies in the fact that they must pay for and provide for all his carnal needs. Sobakevich's body exists at the expense of the soul, which, because of his habits, is doomed to death.
Sobakevich can be called a "slave of the stomach." Food for him is almost the most important thing in life. The food is simple, but good and plentiful. Sobakevich resembles a bear: big, heavy, clumsy; nature did not think long about his appearance: "it was enough with an ax once - the nose came out, it was enough in another - the lips came out ...". In the large body of Sobakevich, the soul, spiritually immobile, freezes. Sobakevich vehemently opposes education and science.
Sobakevich scolds everyone: the only decent person for him is the prosecutor, "and even that one, to tell the truth, is a pig." The landowner is not even surprised at Chichikov's proposal to sell the dead souls of the peasants to him, since the dead people for him are just a commodity. He sets a high price by praising non-existent peasants, describing them as they were in life.
The image of Sobakevich Grade 9
Gogol in his famous poem presented a whole gallery of human characters, embodying them in the grotesque images of heroes. In each of them, he showed the most striking individual features inherent in Russian society.
One of them is Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich.
He appears fourth in a row of landowners, to whom Chichikov turned about buying dead souls. When describing it appearance, the author resorts to comparison with a bear. He reminds him of his face and clumsy habits, and his remarkable strength. Yes, and he has a corresponding bearish name - Mikhail.
This image refers the reader to Russian fairy tales about a big strong, but at the same time very kind toptygin. But in Gogol he becomes Sobakevich. All the names of the characters in the poem are speaking. They embody the main feature of the character's character. And so Mikhail Semenovich from strong and kind becomes constantly swearing and dissatisfied.
He calls the chief of police a swindler, the governor a robber. All of him are bad, liars and dishonest. But at the same time, when he needed it, he calmly lied to the chairman of the chamber that he had sold the coachman Mikheev, although he knew about his death.
Describing his estate, the author points out that all the surrounding objects are in harmony with the character of the owner. The setting is strong and awkward. Sobakevich knows how to count his money well, so he keeps an eye on his serfs, but not because of some kind of philanthropy, but because they are also his property, generating income. He was the only one of all who immediately understood Chichikov's intentions, was not at all surprised by them, but only saw his own benefit in this matter and sold the dead souls at the highest price.
Having no interests other than the desire to eat heartily, scolding everything new and incomprehensible, starting with French food and ending with German doctors, Sobakevich appears on the pages of the poem as another example of the Russian nobility.
In this image, Gogol collected and showed all the inertia, the limitations of Russian society. It is no coincidence that he notices that in St. Petersburg there are people like his hero.
Characteristics of the landowner Sobakevich
The landowner Sobakevich is one of the main characters on whom Gogol focused his attention.
Semenovich, as his relatives called him, was an excellent host. True, looking at his courtyard, one could doubt, since not everything was perfect, like other wealthy landowners, but all his buildings, houses were tall and strong, and most importantly, strong. His estate is surrounded by a thick, sturdy wooden fence. At that time, such a fence was an indicator that people live richly.
The author describes the hero as a big and clumsy person. He himself is not fat, just a well-fed person. The interior of his house is more like a lair brown bear. Big and strong chairs, massive beds. For him, the beauty of the furniture and the interior of the rooms are not important, for him, first of all, functionality is important. Huge paintings hang throughout the house, in heavy wooden frames. They depict military commanders, generals. Everything in the house looks like Sobakevich's texture from the chair to the bed. They are as massive as he is. The hero himself is rude, stubborn and straightforward. He is not afraid of anyone. He can say to the face of a person, everything that he thinks about him.
But at the same time, he is very generous. When a guest comes to the house, the host sets the magic table. He does not skimp on food, he loves to eat deliciously. Sobakevech is an excellent conversationalist.
His hobby is farming. He has industrious peasants with whom he finds mutual language. He knows everyone by name, knows who died, who worked before. The peasants treat him with great respect. They like to work for such a person. People are pleased that they are remembered and respected. Every day Sobakevich comes to the workers in the morning, asks how everyone is doing. If there are any problems, he is always happy to help. He values people very much.
Sobakevich is a cunning landowner, he bargains with Chichikov, bargaining for 100 rubles for one dead soul.
This character has no soul. He perfectly understands that Chichikov is a deceiver, so he himself is glad to get rich on this deal. Therefore, Sobakevich can also be called a deceiver.
Option 4
In N. V. Gogol's poem Dead Souls, readers are presented with a whole gallery of vivid, memorable grotesque images of Russian landowners, ruthlessly ridiculed by the power of the great satirical talent of the writer. One of these characters visited by Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov was the landowner Mikhailo Semyonovich Sobakevich.
Describing Sobakevich's appearance, the author compares him to a bear. Large, overweight, strong, clumsy, he resembles this beast in face, habits, and remarkable strength. The manner of moving was also bearish - Sobakevich managed to constantly step on everyone's feet. Even his name is appropriate - Mikhailo. Describing the appearance of this hero, Gogol notes that he is one of those about whom they say that he is "badly tailored, but tightly sewn." The same can be said about the things surrounding Sobakevich. His dwelling resembles a lair, furnished with clumsy, but strong, solid furniture.
Sobakevich's household leaves the same impression of clumsiness and solid fortress. His house, outbuildings, peasant huts - everything suggests that Sobakevich is a good owner. He knows how to find a common language with the peasants, knows about their problems and needs. Only all this comes from him not from the kindness of his soul. Mikhailo Semyonovich is smart and understands perfectly well what Better conditions he creates for his serfs, the better they will work and the more income he can get from this. Well, he needs money to satisfy his carnal needs, the main of which is the love of hearty food. Sobakevich not only loves and knows how to eat himself, he, like a hospitable host, generously treats his guests, which Pavel Ivanovich had the opportunity to verify.
The fact that Sobakevich is far from stupid is evidenced by the fact that he, the only one of all the landowners, immediately understood Chichikov’s intentions and broke an exorbitant price for dead souls, as for living people. Compiling a list of dead serfs, Sobakevich described in detail their character, skills, habits, which once again confirms that Mikhailo Semyonovich is a zealous owner who knows the business he is engaged in well.
As you know, all the names of the characters in Gogol's poem are "speaking". What does the name Sobakevich tell us about? The fact that this character is rude, always dissatisfied with everything and inclined to scold city officials, calling them "robbers", "swindlers" and "Christ sellers". Among them, he considered one prosecutor a decent person, and even that, in his opinion, was a pig. However, here, perhaps, it is difficult to disagree with Mikhail Semyonovich.
Essay 5
"Dead Souls" is a poem written by N.V. Gogol in the first half of the 19th century. In the work, the writer reflected the images of the people of his time, endowing the landowners with satirical features that ridiculed their vices.
Sobakevich Mikhailo Semenych is a landowner, the "fourth" seller of dead souls, to whom Chichikov came. The exact age of Sobakevich is not known, it is only reported that he lives in his “fifth decade”. Outwardly, the hero looks like a bear, he is distinguished by a strong physique and good health. Sobakevich is straightforward, he does not possess delicacy and courtesy. The landowner speaks badly about all the neighbors, rarely when Sobakevich can say something good about someone.
The estate and houses in the village are made of durable wood, they are practical and comfortable, but at the same time they are devoid of any decorations. Sobakevich believes that the main task of residential buildings is to protect people from wind and rain, aesthetic beauty for the landowner is an excess, devoid of meaning. Sobakevich works on an equal footing with his peasants, unlike other landowners, he sees nothing wrong with physical labor. For Sobakevich, this is a natural occupation.
Sobakevich is married, relations within the family are friendly. With his wife, the landowner is soft and gentle, as far as his character allows him. Sobakevich also has good relations with the peasants, he knows every person living in the village. He speaks of them as good workers.
Among the hero's affections, one should highlight his love of food. Sobakevich appreciates simple food, despises French cuisine, speaks with disgust about eating frogs and offal.
Sobakevich is a cunning prudent person. Chichikov spoke to him about the sale of dead souls "very remotely." However, the landowner immediately realized all the benefits of the deal and set a fairly high price. Noticing Chichikov's astonishment, Mikhailo Semenych began to talk about the dead peasants as wonderful workers.
It cannot be said that Sobakevich is a strictly negative character. In his image there are both positive and negative features. However, in my opinion, Sobakevich, unlike Plyushkin, is not a "dead" soul. He cares not only about himself and his well-being, but also about his peasants.
The image and characteristics of Sobakevich
In this work there are both fictional characters and real ones. For example, one of the main characters of the work "Lefty" is Emperor Alexander the First, he is smart, educated
It is very simple for me to answer the question: What is more expensive in the world? If a person finds it difficult to answer, then he is disingenuous. Ask yourself this question, and the first thing that comes to mind is your answer.
Not much is known about the image of the secular rake and jester Ippolit Kuragin. And yet, there is something to be said about the minor character of the world novel "War and Peace".
As a practical, cold-blooded and reasonable nature, Sobakevich perfectly understands what is necessary and useful in his position. He is a sober realist, stands on the basis of facts and leads his own line. Sobakevich is very intelligent and intelligent, although he does not read books. If, for all that, Sobakevich has a non-stupid, ridiculous appearance, then this is explained not by his personal qualities, but by his position: he is very clever and sensible in his line, but his line is completely meaningless. He is a soul-owner and, as such, lives without contradicting himself, cleverly and prudently, but since soul-ownership itself has become nonsense, Sobakevich's whole life has acquired the absurd character of intelligent and calculating nonsense. Perhaps one can ask the question: why does Sobakevich, with his mind, not leave the senseless line of soul ownership? Yes, simply because for such an act, one mind is not enough; here one needs enthusiasm, even heroism, which the apathetic, utilitarian Sobakevich is completely incapable of. He does not even think about the question of whether a soul-possessing existence is reasonable. He simply exists, lives in the conditions of soul possession and does not do stupid things that are inconsistent with these conditions.
Sobakevich is well aware that the phenomena of a new new culture hostile to soul-possession, and therefore shuns them as far as possible. He scolds all sorts of city delicacies and prefers homemade products to everything. He prefers a fat "nanny" prepared by a serf cook to all purchased fricasseys and a dress made by a serf tailor to all purchased fashionable clothes.
In the fortress estate it was impossible to apply either new science, nor new technology or money capital. All attempts to apply them here should have taken on a stupid and stupid character, should only hasten the ruin of the fortress estate. Common sense saved Sobakevich from the role of a caricature employee of the new culture. But that doesn't make him any less funny. Refusing to participate in the construction of a money-exchange culture, Sobakevich necessarily refused any cultural construction and, consequently, a meaningful, rational existence. Resurrect the old natural-local culture, breathe into it living soul Sobakevich could not and no one in the world. Sobakevich could not become a service man receiving food from the sovereign's peasants. He could serve only as an official for money, and not as a landowner, and from the peasants he could only pull corvee and dues for nothing, and not food. In a word, in the life of Sobakevich there was no room for any serious creative activity, not for serious deep thought, nor for any important duties. Therefore, his sober practical mind, not finding a practical application for itself, turns into rude skiffing, in which there is absolutely no sense.
The sobriety, practicality and prudence of Sobakevich are expressed in gross gluttony, incredible modeling, regular collection of dues, collection completely aimless, because all this will lie in the box without any use,
In fact, Sobakevich's prudent stinginess makes no more sense than Nozdryov's extravagance. Aimless spending is just as absurd as an aimless accumulation, and Sobakevich's accumulation and skulking are completely aimless. No matter how much he accumulates in his box, this accumulated will not be needed either to expand his personal life, or for other productive and creative purposes. This is not the prudence and accumulation of a worker about a rainy day, this is not the accumulation of a person who has grandiose creative plans in front of him, but simply gathering by inertia, completely unnecessary and useless. All life is empty and insignificant, all of it is devoid of purpose, and it is natural that prudent accumulation turns out to be aimless, prudent non-smoking.
All the nonsense of Sobakevichism will come out for us in all clarity when we look at this phenomenon in its extreme expression. Imagine that Sobakevich's stinginess and hoarding acquire the character of passion, a painfully exaggerated need to collect and save. By the way, the environment and circumstances in which the Sobakevichs live are very favorable for such a rebirth. One has only to remember that this is the time of the ruin of the estate economy under the influence of a money-exchange culture, that Sobakevich from all sides hears only the crackling of collapsing estates and, with a slight chill in his heart, feels how, gradually fading, booming underground tremors are reaching him in order to understand with what anxiety and suspicion Sobakevich's prudent and stingy soul must have been filled. In his rude speech, one really hears bilious irritation and gloomy, although not entirely understandable for him, melancholy. Let this anxiety and suspicion make a firm nest in Sobakevich's soul, and his prudence will take on a more intense character; a vague fear of ruin will make him cringe even more, hitting hoarding more vigorously, until his stinginess finally grows into unbridled stinginess. In a word, Sobakevich will turn into a miser Plyushkin.
A landowner with a massive figure, similar to a bear, appears fourth in the gallery of characters. The image and characterization of Sobakevich in the poem "Dead Souls" (with quotes) makes it possible to more clearly present a gentleman from the Russian hinterland, strong in figure, but spiritually devastated.
City landowner N
Sobakevich is an aged man. He is well over 40. Taking care of his estate, he is satisfied with the conditions of the "outback", abandoned deep into the city of N, even unknown to anyone. In the outback, he belongs. But people like him, bears in human form, are easy to meet in Moscow. At the master's good health. He "never got sick". Moreover, Sobakevich is afraid of such a situation. It seems to him that some terrible severe illness awaits ahead. He says about himself:
"... even if the throat hurts, the vered or the boil jumped out ...".
But good health protects a man from ailments.
Hero's appearance
From the first to the last feature of his appearance, Sobakevich resembles a bear: the figure, the setting of the eyes, the chopped lines of the face, the gait. Character traits:
“... round, wide, like Moldovan pumpkins” face;
"... wide, like Vyatka squat horses ..." back;
"... his legs, resembling cast-iron pedestals that are placed on the sidewalks ...";
"... did not use any small instruments."
The master did not need files, gimlets. Not a very sharp ax was enough:
“she grabbed it with an ax once - her nose came out, she grabbed it in another one - her lips came out, she poked her eyes with a large drill and, without scraping, let it into the light ...”.
The classic tries to put or land the character straight, but he does not succeed:
"... did not turn his neck at all ...".
The bear was sitting - the landowner, looking frowningly not at the interlocutor, but at where his eyes fell.
Mikhailo Semenovich does not see the people walking nearby. Most often avoided
"... knowing the habit of ... stepping on your feet ...".
Sobakevich is a small, "medium size" bear. His father was much bigger. There is a breed in a person, heredity, Russian heroism. But if you look into history, how strong in spirit were the Russian giants. They loved Rus' and its people with all their hearts. What is left of them? Only superficial resemblance. The landowner has "bearish" taste. How the barin is dressed:
"tailcoat ... bearish color";
“sleeves (camisole, shirt or jacket) are long”;
"knickers (trousers or trousers) are long."
The author interestingly describes the complexion of Sobakevich: "... red-hot, which happens on a copper penny." A tall, healthy man with a purple face, how not to recoil, frightened of this! In addition, there are no movements, emotions in the face. It is stone and frozen in one position.
The nature of the landowner
Sobakevich is very different in character. He then curls up into a ball, like a fist, ready to strike, then becomes eloquent and quick. It all depends on the environment around him.
"Dog temper" shows when he speaks about the inhabitants of the city. All of them are deceivers:
"... a scammer sits on a scammer and drives a scammer."
Rough in comparisons of people. According to the landowner,
“... there is a decent person: the prosecutor; Yes, and that ... a pig.
Mikhail Semenovich is straightforward, he does not try to conduct unnecessary discussions with Chichikov about a strange request - the purchase of dead souls. Immediately without preface and surprise, he proceeds to bidding. The landowner speaks little, sternly and artlessly:
"You needed souls, and I sell you ...".
When bargaining, the master shows his solidity, he slowly gives way to rubles and kopecks, appreciating the smallest penny. It is impossible not to notice that there is cunning and resourcefulness in the character, for this he receives the epithet from Chichikov - “the beast”. A rogue and a rogue will not pass by the benefits.
Landowner in communication with his wife
The figure of Feodulia Ivanovna's wife is opposite in warehouse. She is a thin, tall woman. The author compares it with a palm tree. It is impossible to imagine an image without a smile: a palm tree in a cap with ribbons. The hostess is like a "smooth goose", like
"...actresses representing queens."
Gogol claims that Sobakevich's wife is a good housewife. She surrounded her husband with care, the main task is to feed. If you count how much time is allotted during the day for food, then there is almost no time left for other things. The dinner that Chichikov attended is a regular meal for the family. It is impossible to list everything that the master ate.
“Everything was lumpy in the stomach…”.
The beginning of the meal is “half a side of lamb”, it would seem that cheesecakes and drinks will go further, but no. eaten
"... a turkey the size of a calf, stuffed with all sorts of good things ...".
Sobakevich recognizes only Russian cuisine. He does not accept French, and it is difficult to imagine how a “bear” is trying to stuff a frog leg or an oyster into his mouth. Sobakevich is consistent in food, as at the auction, he eats to the end. At lunch with city officials:
“having outlined from afar a sturgeon lying aside on a large platter ... he drove it all in a quarter of an hour, so that ... only one tail remained from the product of nature ...”.
This attitude to food is the essence of the character's character. A well-fed gentleman does not become kinder, a smile or other feelings do not appear on his face.
Attitude towards peasants
The landowner strives to create conditions of stability for the peasants. He participates in the life of the household, understands that the better the peasants work, the stronger his estate. Sobakevich knows every living and dead person. In the words of the owner sounds pride:
“What a people! Just gold…”
The landowner's list is detailed and accurate. There is all the data about the sold soul:
"... craft, title, years and family fortune ...".
Sobakevich remembers how the peasant treated wine, the behavior of the peasant.
Sobakevich is a landowner who differs from other residents of the district of the city N met by Chichikov. But this is only an external difference. Vice, stinginess and indifference sit firmly in the character. The soul withers and dies, it is not known if anyone will buy his soul in the future.
Composition on the topic: Sobakevich. Artwork: Dead Souls
Sobakevich Mikhailo Semenych - landowner, the fourth "seller" of dead souls. The very name and appearance of this hero (reminiscent of a “medium-sized bear”, the tailcoat on him is “completely bearish” in color, steps at random, his complexion is “hot, hot”) indicate his power of his nature.
From the very beginning, the image of S. is associated with the theme of money, housekeeping, and calculation (at the time of entering the village, S. Chichikov dreams of a 200,000-strong dowry). Talking with Chichikov S., not paying attention to Chichikov's evasiveness, he busily moves on to the essence of the question: "Do you need dead souls?" The main thing for S. is the price, everything else does not interest him. With knowledge of the matter, S. bargains, praises his goods (all souls are “like a vigorous nut”) and even manages to cheat Chichikov (slips him a “female soul” - Elizaveta Sparrow). The mental image of S. is reflected in everything that surrounds him. In his house, all "useless" architectural beauties are removed. Huts of peasants were also built without any decorations. In S.'s house, there are paintings on the walls depicting exclusively Greek heroes who look like the owner of the house. The dark-colored speckled thrush and the pot-bellied nut bureau (“perfect bear”) are similar to S. In turn, the hero himself also looks like an object - his legs are like cast-iron pedestals. S. is a type of Russian fist, a strong, prudent owner. Its peasants live well, reliably. The fact that S.'s natural power and efficiency turned into dull inertia is more likely not the fault, but the hero's misfortune. S. lives exclusively in modern times, in the 1820s. From the height of his power, S. sees how the life surrounding him has been crushed. During the bargain, he remarks: “... what kind of people are these? flies, not people”, much worse than the dead. S. occupies one of the highest places in the spiritual "hierarchy" of heroes, because, according to the author, he has many chances for rebirth. By nature, he is endowed with many good qualities, he has a rich potential and a powerful nature. Their realization will be shown in the second volume of the poem - in the image of the landowner Costanjoglo.
SOBAKEVICH - the character of the poem by N.V. Gogol "Dead Souls" (first volume 1842, under the census title "The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls"; second volume 1842-1845). folklore sources S.'s images are epic and fairy-tale heroes (Yeruslan Lazarevich, Ilya Muromets, etc.). Possible literary sources: Taras Skotinin from D. Fonviziia's comedy "Undergrowth", bear-like robber Burdash from M. Zagoskin's novel "Yuri Miloslavsky". The heroic power of S. (a leg shod in a gigantic boot), exploits at the dinner table (cheesecakes “much larger than a plate”, “a turkey as tall as a calf”, eaten at once “half a side of a lamb”), S.’s heroic health (“fifth dozen I live, I have never been sick”) parody the appearance and deeds of fabulous and epic heroes. S.'s surname is not formally related to his appearance: S. looks like “a medium-sized bear”; complexion "hot, hot, which happens on a copper penny"; his name - Mikhailo Semenovich - also indicates a folkloric bear. However, associatively, the surname corresponds to the character and portrait: S. has a “bulldog” grip and face; in addition, he treats people like a chained dog (cf. Gogol's ironic words of S. after agreeing to sell souls: “yes, such a dog’s temper: I can’t help but give pleasure to my neighbor”). Rudeness and clumsiness are the essence of the portrait of S. Nature, creating his face, “chopped from the whole shoulder: she grabbed with an ax once - her nose came out, she grabbed another - her lips came out, she poked her eyes with a large drill and, without scraping, let her into the light ... ". The soullessness of S. is emphasized by the metaphorical substitution of the face with a wide Moldavian pumpkin, and the legs with cast-iron pedestals. Things around S. repeat the heavy and durable body of the owner: a strong and asymmetrical house, “like we build for military settlements and German colonists”; peasant huts and a well made of ship oak, but without any carved patterns; the pot-bellied hazel bureau is the perfect bear; the table, the armchair, the chairs seemed to say: “And I, too, Sobakevich!” Even the thrush looks like S.S. is attached to the earth and builds as if it intends to live forever, not thinking about death or the soul; S. is childless (compare the gospel parable of the rich man who set up new granaries: “But God said to him: Fool! This very night they will take your soul from you; who will get what you have prepared?” (Heb. from Luke, 12: 20)). S. is a master, a materialist, and he does not care about "treasures in heaven." S.'s hypertrophied practicality contrasts with Manilov's sugary "empyreans", just as the habit of scolding everything in a row, seeing scoundrels and swindlers in everyone is opposed to the enthusiastic idealization of people inherent in Manilov. The governor of S. is “the first robber in the world”, “he will kill him for a penny”. The whole city is Christ-sellers, “a swindler sits on a swindler and drives a swindler. There is only one decent person there: the prosecutor; and even that one, to tell the truth, is a pig.” Officials, according to S., “burden the earth for nothing,” and the lawyer Zolotukha is “the first grabber in the world.” S. is a Russophile and hates everything Western. He is ready to hang the Germans and the French, as they came up with a diet, imagining "that they can cope with the Russian stomach." S. does not detail, he is a supporter of the whole, the gigantic. In this, according to S., a truly Russian nature is manifested: “When I have pork - put the whole pig on the table, lamb - drag the whole ram, goose - just the goose!” At the police chief, while the guests were talking, S. “arrived” a sturgeon. S.'s soul is buried under the weight of flesh or, according to Gogol, somewhere beyond the mountains is closed with a "thick shell", "like that of the immortal Koshchei." S. remembers the soul only when bargaining with Chichikov, reducing its elusive essence to a purely material shell, to food: “Your human soul is like a steamed turnip” (cf. “radish boiled in honey”). The unrealized heroic potential of S.'s "dead" soul is parodied by portraits of the heroes of the Greek national liberation movement of 1821-1829. (Mavrokordato, Miau-li, Kanari), however, their heroism, exclusively popular, degenerates in S. into an empty external grandiosity (“thick thighs and an unheard-of mustache”), emphasized by the alogism of the portrait of Bagration, “skinny, thin, with small banners and guns”, “within the narrowest limits”. S. - “man-fist”. Gogol's metaphor expresses the universal passion personified in the image of S. - a passion for the heavy, earthly, carnal. This is acquisitiveness of a special kind, it is radically different from Chichikov's groundless, unsteady acquisitiveness; on the contrary, it is substantive, economically durable (even S.’s “dead souls” are not rubbish-soul, but “a vigorous nut, everything is for selection”), for S.’s soul he “breaks” a hundred rubles and does not disdain fraud, slipping into the list of souls of a babu - "Elizabeth Sparrow". The strength and will of S. (“No, whoever is a fist, he cannot straighten into a palm!”) are devoid of an ideal, core, soul, in fact, they are as dead as Manilov’s daydreaming or Plyushkin’s stinginess, in the end they slow down the movement " troika birds" Rus.
The image of the landowner Sobakevich in the poem "Dead Souls"
Unlike Nozdryov, Sobakevich cannot be counted as people hovering in the clouds. This hero stands firmly on the ground, does not entertain illusions, soberly evaluates people and life, knows how to act and achieve what he wants. With the character of his life, Gogol notes solidity and fundamentality in everything. These are natural features of Sobakevich's life. On him and on the furnishings of his house lies the stamp of clumsiness, ugliness. Physical strength and clumsiness appears in the guise of the hero himself. "He looked like a medium-sized bear," Gogol writes about him. In Sobakevich, the animal principle prevails. He is devoid of any spiritual inquiries, far from daydreaming, philosophizing and noble impulses of the soul. The meaning of his life is to saturate the stomach. He himself has a negative attitude towards everything connected with culture and education: "Enlightenment is a harmful invention." The local being and the hoarder coexist in it. Unlike Korobochka, he understands the environment well and understands the time in which he lives, knows people. Unlike other landowners, he immediately understood the essence of Chichikov. Sobakevich is a cunning rogue, an impudent businessman who is difficult to deceive. He evaluates everything around him only from the point of view of his own benefit. In his conversation with Chichikov, the psychology of the kulak is revealed, who knows how to make the peasants work for themselves and extract from this maximum benefit. He is straightforward, quite rude and does not believe in anyone. Unlike Manilov, in his perception, all people are robbers, scoundrels, fools. (Everything in Sobakevich's house surprisingly resembled himself. Every thing seemed to say: "And I, too, Sobakevich."
The description of the village and the landowner's economy testifies to a certain prosperity. “The yard was surrounded by a strong and unreasonably thick wooden lattice. The landowner, it seemed, was fussing a lot about strength ... The village huts of the peasants were also cut down marvelously ... everything was fitted tightly and as it should.
Describing the appearance of Sobakevich, Gogol resorts to zoological analogy - a comparison of a landowner with a bear. Sobakevich is a glutton. In his judgments about where he rises to a kind of “gastronomic” pathos: “When I have pork - put the whole pig on the table, lamb - drag the whole ram, goose - the whole goose!” However,
Sobakevich, and in this he differs from Plyushkin and most other landowners, except perhaps for Korobochka, has a certain economic streak: he does not ruin his own serfs, he achieves a certain order in the economy, he profitably sells dead souls to Chichikov, he knows very well the business and human qualities of his peasants.
The image of Sobakevich occupies a worthy place in the gallery of landowners. "A fist! Yes, and a beast to boot" - Chichikov gave him such a description. Sobakevich is undoubtedly a hoarding landowner. His village is large and well-organized. All buildings, though clumsy, are strong to the extreme. Sobakevich himself reminded Chichikov of a medium-sized bear - big, clumsy. In the portrait of Sobakevich, there is no description of the eyes at all, which, as you know, are the mirror of the soul. Gogol wants to show that Sobakevich is so rude, uncouth, that in his body "there was no soul at all." Everything in Sobakevich's rooms is as clumsy and large as he is. The table, the armchair, the chairs, and even the thrush in the cage seemed to say: "And I, too, Sobakevich." Sobakevich takes Chichikov's request calmly, but demands 100 rubles for each dead soul, and even praises his goods like a merchant. Speaking about the typicality of such an image, Gogol emphasizes that people like Sobakevich are found everywhere - in the provinces and in the capital. After all, the point is not in appearance, but in the nature of a person: "no, whoever is a fist cannot straighten into a palm." Rough and uncouth Sobakevich is the lord over his peasants. And if such a person could rise higher and give him more power? How much trouble could he do! After all, he adheres to a strictly defined opinion about people: "A scammer sits on a scammer and drives a scammer."
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The idea of the poem "Dead Souls", which became immortal, was presented to Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol by the poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The creation of a work is the main mission that Gogol had to fulfill. The writer himself thought so. Gogol's plans included the composition of three volumes of the poem (in the likeness of Hell, Purgatory, Paradise). Only the first volume of the work was written and published. Only he reached the reader. The sad fate of the second volume and the reasons that gave rise to it remain a mystery to this day. Modern philologists in their writings are trying to unravel the mysteries associated with writing a work. To this end, the images created in the poem are carefully studied and analyzed, the characteristics of Sobakevich, Manilov, Korobochka and other main characters are given.
Gallery of images of the poem
In the poem "The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls", namely under this heading, the work was published for the first time, a whole gallery of images is presented - different types people and even inanimate objects. Using this technique, Gogol masterfully depicts the way of life Russia XIX century.
He shows common features - the ignorance of officials, the arbitrariness of the authorities, the plight of the people. At the same time, the characters of individual characters, their individual characteristics are vividly represented in the poem.
For example, the image of Sobakevich, Plyushkin, Korobochka, Nozdrev, Manilov, Chichikov allows the reader to understand that the characters are typical representatives of a certain era, although each carries something of his own, individual, different from the others. The appearances of the characters in Gogol's poem are not random moments. Their presentation to the reader is subject to a certain order, which is very important for revealing the general idea of the work.
Sobakevich's possessions
Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich in the poem "Dead Souls" in the gallery of images appears before the readers as the fourth character in a row. Acquaintance with him begins long before the appearance of the hero himself.
Chichikov's gaze opens up a large village with strong and solid buildings. The house of the landowner himself seemed to have been determined "for eternal standing." The buildings that belonged to the peasants also surprised Chichikov with their reliability and good quality.
It is immediately clear that the external side of the buildings, their aesthetics do not excite the owner at all. What matters is the functionality, the practical benefit of what surrounds it.
In the description of the landscape, attention should be paid to the forests that surround the village. On one side there was a birch forest, and on the other - a pine forest. This also indicates the thriftiness of the owner of the estate. Gogol compares the forest with the wings of the same bird, but one of them is light and the other is dark. Perhaps this is an indication of the nature of the character. So Gogol prepares the reader for the perception of the difficult image of the landowner Sobakevich.
The appearance of the hero
Gogol gives a description of Sobakevich, his external characteristics in comparison with animals and inanimate objects.
This is a medium-sized clumsy bear. He moves by stepping on someone's feet. His coat is bearish. Even the name, Mikhailo Semenovich, causes the reader to associate with an animal.
This was done by Gogol not by chance. The characterization of Sobakevich, the description of his inner world begins precisely with the perception of the character's appearance. After all, we first of all pay attention to such features.
The complexion of Sobakevich's face, which was red-hot, hot, like that of a copper penny, also indicates some kind of strength, inviolability of character.
Description of the interior and the image of the hero of the poem
The interior of the rooms where Sobakevich lived is unusually similar to the image of the owner. Here the armchairs, the table, the chairs were as clumsy, cumbersome, heavy as he was.
The reader, having familiarized himself with the hero, his environment, can assume that his spiritual interests are limited, that he is too close to the world of material life.
What distinguishes Sobakevich from other landowners
The attentive reader will surely notice this difference. The image of the landowner Sobakevich, having many similarities with other characters in the poem, at the same time is very different from them. It brings some variety.
The landowner Sobakevich not only loves reliability and strength in everything, but also gives his serfs the opportunity to live thoroughly and stand firmly on their feet. This shows the practical acumen and efficiency of this character.
When a deal was made with Chichikov for the sale of dead souls, Sobakevich personally wrote a list of his deceased peasants. At the same time, he remembered not only their names, but also the crafts that his subordinates owned. He could describe each of them - name the attractive and negative aspects of a person's character.
This indicates that the landlord is not indifferent to who lives in his village, who he owns. At the right moment, he will use the qualities of his people, of course, to his advantage.
He absolutely does not accept excessive stinginess and condemns his neighbors for this. So Sobakevich speaks of Plyushkin, who, having eight hundred souls, eats worse than a shepherd. Mikhailo Semenovich himself is very happy to please his stomach. Gluttony, perhaps, is his main business in life.
Make a deal
This interesting point in a poem. The moment of concluding a deal related to the purchase of dead souls tells a lot about Sobakevich. The reader notices that the landowner is smart - he understands perfectly what Chichikov wants. Again, such features as practicality and the desire to do everything for the benefit of themselves come to the fore.
In addition, in this situation, the straightforwardness of Sobakevich is manifested. Sometimes it turns into rudeness, ignorance, cynicism, which is the real essence of the character.
What is alarming in the description of the image of the hero
Characteristics of Sobakevich, some of his actions, statements make the reader alert. Although much of what the landowner does, at first glance, seems worthy of respect. For example, the desire to ensure that the peasants stand firmly on their feet does not at all indicate the high spirituality of Sobakevich. This is done only for the benefit of oneself - there is always something to take from the strong economy of the subjects.
About city officials, Sobakevich says that they are swindlers, "Christ-sellers." And this is most likely true. But all of the above does not prevent him from having some profitable business and relationships with these scammers.
The reader is also alarmed by the fact that he did not say a single kind word about a single person with whom Sobakevich is familiar, with whom he is friends, if it can be called that.
His attitude to science and education is sharply negative. And Mikhailo Semyonovich would hang the people who do this - they are so hated by him. This is probably due to the fact that Sobakevich understands that education can shake the established foundations, and this is unprofitable for the landowner. Hence his heaviness and stability of views.
Mortality of the soul of Sobakevich
The characterization of Sobakevich, with all its positive and negative points, allows us to draw the main conclusion: the landowner Mikhailo Semenovich is dead just like his neighbors, officials from the city, the adventurer Chichikov. The reader clearly understands this.
Having an established character, lifestyle, Sobakevich and his neighbors will not allow any changes around them. Why do they need it? To change, a person needs a soul, and these people do not have it. Gogol never managed to look into the eyes of Sobakevich and other characters in the poem (except Plyushkin). This technique once again indicates the absence of a soul.
The deadness of the characters is also evidenced by the fact that the author talks very little about family ties heroes. One gets the impression that they all came from nowhere, they have no roots, which means there is no life.
