PortraitN. V. Gogol created five types, five portraits, among which only
one female is Korobochka. Folklore source this image is a woman
Yaga.Korobochka is a sedentary old woman - a landowner, a plain-looking grandmother,
who wore every item of her wardrobe to the holes. The box is not
claims to be a high culture: in all its appearance it is very noticeable
unpretentious simplicity. This is emphasized by Gogol in the heroine’s appearance:
he points out her shabby and unattractive appearance.
This is how it is described in the work:
“...A minute later the owner, a woman, came in
elderly, in some kind of sleeping cap,
put on hastily, with a flannel around his neck, one of those
mothers, small landowners who
cry about crop failures, losses and hold their heads
somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they are gaining
little by little money into colorful bags,
placed on dresser drawers..."
Portrait of Korobochka in the poem “Dead Souls”
PORTRAIT OF A BOX IN THE POEM “THE DEAD”SOULS"
Landowner, widow, very
economic and
thrifty, elderly
woman. She knows everyone
his peasants, responds
good about them, so she
different from Manilov.
Portrait of Korobochka is not so
detailed like portraits
other landowners.
Owner of 80 serfs
shower.
Character
Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna – widow-landowner, second “saleswoman”dead souls Chichikov. The heroine's surname metaphorically expresses
the essence of her nature, thrifty, distrustful, fearful, feeble-minded,
stubborn, superstitious. Nastasya Petrovna doesn’t see anything beyond her nose,
everything “new and unprecedented” frightens her. The image of the Box contains a type
a person deadened in his limitations. To belittle the image
even the main one works positive trait landowner who became her
passion - commercial business. The main goal of her life is to strengthen
of his wealth, incessant accumulation.
Every person is first and foremost for her.
potential buyer. The box has
character: she begins to frantically bargain with
Chichikov, until he extracts a promise from him,
besides souls, buy much more. It is noteworthy that
that Korobochka remembers all her dead
peasants by heart. The image of Korobochka is great
symbolizes the Nicholas era, where it was given
compliance with the form is essential, and
they didn’t care about the contents, where they suppressed the living
soul for the sake of the impression of well-being.
Korobochki Estate
ESTATE BOXThe Korobochka estate is distinguished by its fortress and
contentment, you can immediately see that she is good
mistress. Courtyard overlooking the windows
rooms, filled with birds and "all kinds of domestic
creature"; further on you can see vegetable gardens with
“a household vegetable”; fruit trees
covered with bird nets, stuffed animals are also visible
poles - “one of them was wearing a cap
the hostess herself." Peasant huts too
show the wealth of their inhabitants. In a word,
Korobochka's farm is clearly thriving and
brings sufficient profit. Yes, myself
The village is not small - eighty souls.
Village
The inner world of the Box reflects herfarming. She has a “pretty little village.”
Everything in it is neat and strong: both the house and the yard.
The isolation of Korobochka is emphasized, her
narrow-mindedness and stubbornness, pettiness,
animal limited interests
exclusively on their own farm. Her
Gogol gave his neighbors the surname Bobrov,
Svinin. Even the location of the village
Boxes (away from the main road, in
side from real life) indicates
the impossibility of correcting it and
revival. On the Korobochka farm
"There were no numbers of turkeys and chickens." By
folklore tradition of birds mentioned
in connection with Korobochka (turkeys, chickens, magpies,
sparrows, pigeons), symbolize stupidity,
senseless fuss.
House
A small house and a large yard The boxes symbolically displayher inner world- neat, strong; and everywhere there are flies that Gogol has
always accompany the frozen, stopped, internally dead
to the world. The hissing clock and the “outdated” portraits on the
walls in Korobochka's house.
“...The room was hung with old
striped wallpaper; paintings with some
birds; between the antique small windows
mirrors with dark frames in the form
curled leaves; behind every mirror
either a letter or an old deck was pawned
cards, or stockings; wall clock with
painted flowers on the dial...".
Things in the house Boxes, with one
sides express her naive idea of
lush beauty, and on the other - her hoarding and
limited range of home entertainment
(fortune telling by cards, darning, embroidery and
cooking).
Cabinet Boxes
OFFICE BOXModest rooms
old enough
some paintings
old
striped wallpaper,
clock on the wall,
mirrors
Korobochka's speech in the poem "Dead Souls"
SPEECH OF THE BOX IN THE POEM “DEAD SOULS”The box was already old and not
always thought quickly, for
in order to answer her, she
At first I thought for a long time.
10. Deal
The “club-headed” Korobochka understood the benefits of trade and agrees,however, after much persuasion. She's afraid of selling the dead cheap.
souls, fears that Chichikov might deceive her, wants to wait, so as not to “incur a loss somehow,” maybe these souls will be useful in the household.
After all, “the product is so strange, completely unprecedented” - she at first thinks that
Chichikov intends to dig the dead out of the ground. The box is assembled
slip Chichikov hemp or honey instead of dead souls. Prices for these
she knows the products.
She, in addition to the desire to acquire and extract
benefit, no feelings. Korobochka sells
peasants with such efficiency as
sells other items from his household.
For her there is no difference between animate and
an inanimate creature. Doubts (not
did she sell herself cheap?) force her
go to the city to find out the real
price for such a strange product. Nastasya is coming
Petrovna in a tarantass that looks like a watermelon. This
another analogue of her image, along with the chest of drawers,
a box and bags full of money.
11. Korobochka’s attitude towards the sale of dead souls
RELATIONSHIP OF BOX TO SALEDEAD SOULS
When Chichikov
offered to sell her
their dead souls,
she didn't at first
I realized how you can
generally sell,
they're dead.
The box is the same
I was surprised, as was
Manilov, to whom
Chichikov suggested
deal.
Among the landowners visited main character Gogol's poem Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, in search of his unusual acquisition, there was one woman.
The image and characteristics of Korobochka in the poem “Dead Souls” allow us to imagine how they lived in the deep, hidden territories of Russia of the past, way of life and traditions.
The image of the heroine
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov came to the landowner Korobochka by accident. He lost his way when he tried to visit Sobakevich's estate. Terrible bad weather forced the traveler to ask to spend the night in an unfamiliar estate. The woman's rank is college secretary. She is a widow living on her estate. There is some autobiographical information about the woman. It is not known whether she has children, but it is certain that a sister lives in Moscow. Korobochka goes to her after Chichikov leaves. The old landowner runs a small farm: about 80 peasants. The author describes the landlady and the men living in the village.What's special about the heroine:
Ability to save. The small landowner puts the money into bags and puts them in the chest of drawers.
Stealth. Nastasya Petrovna does not talk about her wealth. She pretends to be poor, trying to evoke pity. But the purpose of this feeling is to raise the price of the product offered.
Courage. The landowner confidently goes to court with requests to solve her problems.
Korobochka sells what its peasants do: honey, feathers, hemp, lard. The woman is not surprised by the guest’s desire to buy the souls of people who went to afterlife. She's afraid of selling herself short. Faith and unbelief are intertwined in the landowner. Moreover, two opposing feelings are connected so tightly that it is difficult to determine where the line is. She believes in God and the devil. After prayer, the landowner lays out the cards.
Nastasya Petrovna's farm
A lonely woman manages better than the men encountered in the poem. The description of the village does not frighten, like Plyushkin’s, and does not surprise, like Manilov’s. The gentlemen's house is well maintained. It is small but strong. Dogs bark to greet guests and warn their owners. The author describes the houses of the peasants:- the huts are strong;
- lined up scattered;
- are constantly being repaired (the worn-out board is replaced with a new one);
- strong gates;
- spare carts.
Peasants of the village
Chichikov examines the peasants with interest. These are strong, living men and women. There are several characters in the village. Each one complements the image of the hostess in a special way.The maid Fetinya expertly fluffs the feather beds, making them so comfortable that the guest sleeps longer than usual.
The yard peasant woman opened the gate at night, not being afraid of uninvited guests. She has hoarse voice and a strong figure hidden under an overcoat.
The yard girl Pelageya shows Chichikov the way back. She runs barefoot, which is why her feet are covered in mud and look like boots. The girl is uneducated, and for her there is not even an understanding of right and left. She shows with her hands where the chaise should go.
Dead Souls
The peasants that Korobochka sells have amazing nicknames. Some of them complement the characteristics of a person, others are simply invented by the people. The hostess remembers all the nicknames, she sighs and regretfully lists them to the guest. The most unusual:- Disrespect-Trough;
- Cow brick;
- Wheel Ivan.
Character image
There is a lot of typical stuff in the description of the Box. The author believes that there are many such women in Rus'. They are not likable. Gogol called the woman “club-headed,” but she is no different from the prim, educated aristocrats. Korobochka’s thriftiness does not evoke affection; on the contrary, everything in her household is modest. Money ends up in bags, but does not bring anything new to life. Around the landowner huge amount flies They personify stagnation in the soul of the hostess, in the world around her.The landowner Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka cannot be changed. She chose the path of hoarding that makes no sense. The life of the estate takes place away from real feelings and events.
Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka is a landowner, the widow of a college secretary, a very thrifty and thrifty elderly woman. Her village is small, but everything in it is in good order, the farm is flourishing and, apparently, brings in a good income. Korobochka compares favorably with Manilov: she knows all her peasants (“... she didn’t keep any notes or lists, but knew almost everyone by heart”), speaks of them as good workers (“all are nice people, all workers.” Hereinafter quoted . from: Gogol N.V. Collected works in eight volumes. - (Library “Ogonyok”: domestic classics) - T.5. “Dead Souls” - M., 1984.), she is engaged in housekeeping. - “she fixed her eyes on the housekeeper,” “little by little she moved into economic life.” Judging by the fact that, when asking Chichikov who he is, she lists those people with whom she constantly communicates: the assessor, merchants, archpriest, her social circle is small and is associated mainly with economic affairs - trade and the payment of state taxes.
Apparently, she rarely goes to the city and does not communicate with her neighbors, because when asked about Manilov, he replies that there is no such landowner and names ancient noble families, which are more appropriate in the classic comedy of the 18th century - Bobrov, Kanapatiev, Pleshakov, Kharpakin. In the same row is the surname Svinin, which draws a direct parallel with Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor” (Mitrofanushka’s mother and uncle are Svinin).
Korobochka’s behavior, her address to the guest “father”, the desire to serve (Chichikov called himself a nobleman), to treat her, to arrange for an overnight stay as best as possible - all this characteristic features images provincial landowners in works of the 18th century. Mrs. Prostakova behaves the same way when she finds out that Starodum is a nobleman and has been accepted at court.
Korobochka, it would seem, is devout; in her speeches there are constantly sayings and expressions characteristic of a believer: “The power of the cross is with us!”, “Apparently, God sent him as a punishment,” but there is no special faith in her. When Chichikov persuades her to sell the dead peasants, promising profit, she agrees and begins to “calculate” the profit. Korobochka's confidant is the son of the archpriest, who serves in the city.
The landowner's only entertainment when she is not busy with her household is fortune-telling on cards - “I decided to make fortunes on cards at night after prayer...”. And she spends her evenings with the maid.
Korobochka's portrait is not as detailed as the portraits of other landowners and seems to be stretched out: first Chichikov hears the “hoarse woman's voice” of the old servant; then “again some woman, younger than before, but very similar to her”; when he was shown into the rooms and he had time to look around, a lady entered - “an elderly woman, in some kind of sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck, ....” The author emphasizes Korobochka’s old age, then Chichikov directly calls her an old woman to himself. Appearance The housewife’s appearance in the morning does not change much - only the sleeping cap disappears: “She was dressed better than yesterday - in a dark dress ( widow!) and no longer in a sleeping cap ( but apparently there was still a cap on his head - a day cap), but there was still something tied around the neck" ( fashion of the late 18th century - fishue, i.e. a small scarf that partially covered the neckline and the ends of which were tucked into the neckline of the dress See Kirsanova R.M. Russian costume artistic culture 18 - first half of the 20th centuries: Experience of an encyclopedia / Ed. T.G. Morozova, V.D. Sinyukova. - M., 1995. - P.115).
The author's description, which follows the portrait of the hostess, on the one hand emphasizes the typicality of the character, on the other hand, gives a comprehensive description: “one of those mothers, small landowners who cry when the harvest fails ( precisely with words about crop failure and bad times a business conversation between Korobochka and Chichikov begins), losses and keep your head somewhat to one side, and meanwhile they are gradually gaining money in motley Motley - fabric from the remnants of yarn of various kinds, homespun fabric (Kirsanova) bags placed in dresser drawers. All the rubles are taken into one bag, fifty rubles into another, quarters into the third, although in appearance it seems as if there is nothing in the chest of drawers except underwear, night blouses, skeins of thread, and a ripped salop Salop - outerwear made of fur and the rich fabrics that had gone out of fashion by 1830; the name “salopnitsa” has an additional connotation of “old-fashioned” (Kirsanova). Apparently, for this purpose, Gogol mentions the salop as an indispensable attribute of such landowners, who can then turn into a dress if the old one somehow burns out during the baking of festive cakes with all sorts of yarn. - to another, baked. or it will disappear on its own. But the dress will not burn or fray on its own; thrifty old lady..." This is exactly what Korobochka is, so Chichikov immediately does not stand on ceremony and gets down to business.
An important role in understanding the image of the landowner is played by the description of the estate and the decoration of the rooms in the house. This is one of the techniques for characterizing a character that Gogol uses in “Dead Souls”: the image of all landowners consists of the same set of descriptions and artistic details - the estate, rooms, interior details or significant objects, an indispensable feast (in one form or another - from a full dinner , like Sobakevich, before Plyushkin’s offer of Easter cake and wine), the owner’s manners and behavior during business negotiations and after them, attitude towards an unusual transaction, etc.
Korobochka's estate is distinguished by its strength and contentment; it is immediately clear that she is a good housewife. The courtyard into which the room's windows overlook is filled with birds and “all kinds of domestic creatures”; further on you can see vegetable gardens with “household vegetables”; the fruit trees are covered with bird nets, and stuffed animals on poles are also visible - “one of them was wearing the cap of the mistress herself.” Peasant huts also show the wealth of their inhabitants. In a word, Korobochka’s farm is clearly thriving and generating sufficient profit. And the village itself is not small - eighty souls.
The description of the estate is divided into two parts - at night, in the rain, and during the day. The first description is meager, motivated by the fact that Chichikov drives up in the dark, during heavy rain. But in this part of the text there is also artistic detail, which, in our opinion, is essential for the further narrative, is the mention of the external villa of the house: “stopped<бричка>in front of a small house, which was difficult to see in the darkness. Only one half of it was illuminated by the light coming from the windows; a puddle was still visible in front of the house, which was directly hit by the same light.” Chichikov is also greeted by the barking of dogs, which indicates that “the village was decent.” The windows of a house are a kind of eyes, and eyes, as we know, are the mirror of the soul. Therefore, the fact that Chichikov drives up to the house in the dark, only one window is illuminated and the light from it falls into a puddle, speaks, most likely, about the poverty of inner life, about the focus on one side of it, about the mundane aspirations of the owners of this house.
The “daytime” description, as mentioned earlier, emphasizes precisely this one-sidedness of Korobochka’s inner life - the focus only on economic activity, thrift and thrift.
IN brief description The rooms are primarily noted for the antiquity of their decoration: “the room was hung with old striped wallpaper; paintings with some birds; between the windows there are old small mirrors with dark frames in the shape of curled leaves; Behind every mirror there was either a letter, or an old deck of cards, or a stocking; wall clock with painted flowers on the dial...” In this description, two features clearly stand out - linguistic and artistic. Firstly, the synonyms “old”, “vintage” and “old” are used; secondly, the set of objects that catch Chichikov’s eye during a brief examination also indicates that the people living in such rooms are more drawn to the past than to the present. What is important is that flowers are mentioned several times (on the watch dial, leaves on the mirror frames) and birds. If we recall the history of the interior, we can find out that such a “design” is typical for the Rococo era, i.e. for the second half of the 18th century.
Later in the episode, the description of the room is supplemented by one more detail, which confirms the “antiqueness” of Korobochka’s life: Chichikov discovers in the morning two portraits on the wall - Kutuzov and “some old man with red cuffs on his uniform, as they were sewn on under Pavel Petrovich
In the conversation about the purchase of “dead” souls, the whole essence and character of Korobochka is revealed. At first, she cannot understand what Chichikov wants from her - dead peasants have no economic value, and therefore cannot be sold. When she realizes that the deal can be profitable for her, then bewilderment gives way to another - the desire to get the maximum benefit from the sale: after all, if someone wants to buy the dead, therefore, they are worth something and are the subject of bargaining. That is dead souls For her, they are on a par with hemp, honey, flour and lard. But she has already sold everything else (as we know, quite profitably), and this is a new and unknown business for her. The desire not to undercut the price is triggered: “I started to be very afraid that this buyer would somehow cheat her,” “I was afraid at first, so as not to somehow incur a loss. Maybe you, my father, are deceiving me, but they are... they are somehow worth more”, “I’ll wait a little, maybe merchants will come, and I’ll adjust the prices”, “somehow they’ll be needed on the farm in case they’re needed...”. With her stubbornness, she infuriates Chichikov, who was counting on easy consent. This is where the epithet arises, which expresses the essence not only of Korobochka, but of the entire type of similar people - “club-headed”. The author explains that neither rank nor position in society is the reason for this property; “club-headedness” is a very common phenomenon: “someone is both respectable and even a statesman. but in reality it turns out to be a perfect Box. Once you've hacked something into your head, you can't overpower him with anything; No matter how much you present him with arguments, clear as day, everything bounces off him, like a rubber ball bounces off a wall.”
Korobochka agrees when Chichikov offers her another deal that she understands - government contracts, that is, a state supply order that paid well and was beneficial for the landowner due to its stability.
The author ends the bidding episode with a generalized discussion about the prevalence of this type of people: “Is Korobochka really standing so low on the endless ladder of human improvement? Is the abyss really that great that separates her from her sister, inaccessibly fenced by the walls of an aristocratic house with fragrant cast-iron staircases, shining copper, mahogany and carpets, yawning over an unread book in anticipation of a witty social visit, where she will have the opportunity to show off her mind and express her expressed thoughts? thoughts that, according to the laws of fashion, occupy the city for a whole week, thoughts not about what is happening in her house and on her estates, confused and upset thanks to ignorance of economic affairs, but about what political revolution is being prepared in France, what direction fashionable Catholicism has taken " Comparison of an economical, thrifty and practical Box with a worthless one socialite makes you wonder what Korobochka’s “sin” is, is it just her “club-headedness”?
Thus, we have several grounds for determining the meaning of the image of Korobochka - an indication of her “club-headedness,” i.e. getting stuck on one thought, inability and inability to consider the situation from different sides, limited thinking; comparison with the habitually established life of a society lady; the clear dominance of the past in everything related to the cultural components of human life, embodied in fashion, interior design, speech and rules of etiquette in relation to other people.
Is it a coincidence that Chichikov ends up with Korobochka after wandering along a dirty and dark road, at night, during the rain? It can be suggested that these details metaphorically reflect the nature of the image - the lack of spirituality (darkness, rare reflections of light from the window) and the aimlessness - in spiritual and moral terms - of her existence (a confusing road, by the way, the girl who accompanies Chichikov to high road confuses right and left). Then the logical answer to the question about the “sin” of the landowner will be the absence of the life of the soul, the existence of which has collapsed to one point - the distant past, when the deceased husband was still alive, who loved to have his heels scratched before going to bed. The clock that hardly strikes the appointed hour, the flies that wake up Chichikov in the morning, the confusion of the roads to the estate, the lack of external contacts with the world - all this confirms our point of view.
Thus, Korobochka embodies a state of mind in which life is reduced to a single point and remains somewhere far behind, in the past. Therefore, the author emphasizes that Korobochka is an old woman. And no future is possible for her, therefore, it is impossible to be reborn, i.e. It is not destined to unfold life to the fullness of being.
The reason for this lies in the initially unspiritual life of a woman in Russia, in her traditional position, but not socially, but psychologically. The comparison with a society lady and the details about how Korobochka spends her “free time” (fortune telling on cards, housework) reflect the absence of any intellectual, cultural, spiritual life. Later in the poem, the reader will encounter an explanation of the reasons for this state of a woman and her soul in Chichikov’s monologue after meeting a beautiful stranger, when the hero discusses what happens to a pure and simple girl and how “rubbish” turns out of her.
Korobochka also receives “club-headedness” exact value: This is not excessive practicality or commercialism, but a narrowness of mind, which is determined by a single thought or belief and is a consequence of the general limitations of life. And it is the “club-headed” Korobochka, who never gave up the thought of a possible deception on the part of Chichikov and comes to the city to inquire “how much are dead souls these days,” becomes one of the reasons for the collapse of the hero’s adventure and his rapid flight from the city.
Why does Chichikov get to Korobochka after Manilov and before meeting Nozdryov? As was said earlier, the sequence of images of landowners is built along two lines. The first is descending: the degree of “sin” in each subsequent case becomes more severe, responsibility for the state of the soul increasingly lies with the person himself. The second is ascending: how possible is it for a character to revive his life and “resurrect” his soul?
Manilov lives quite openly - he appears in the city, is present at evenings and meetings, communicates, but his life is like a sentimental novel, and therefore illusory: he is very reminiscent in appearance, and in his reasoning, and in his attitude towards people, of the hero of sentimental and romantic works, fashionable in early XIX century. You can guess about his past - good education, short civil service, retirement, marriage and life with family on the estate. Manilov does not understand that his existence is not connected with reality, therefore he cannot realize that his life is not going as it should. If we draw a parallel with Dante's " Divine Comedy", then he is more reminiscent of sinners of the first circle, whose sin is that they are unbaptized infants or pagans. But the possibility of rebirth is closed to him for the same reason: his life is an illusion, and he does not realize it.
The box is too immersed in the material world. If Manilov is entirely in fantasy, then she is in the prose of life, and intellectual and spiritual life comes down to habitual prayers and the same habitual piety. The fixation on material things, on profit, the one-sidedness of her life is worse than Manilov’s fantasies.
Could Korobochka's life have turned out differently? Yes and no. The influence of the surrounding world, society, circumstances left their mark on her, making her inner world what it is. But there was still a way out - sincere faith in God. As we will see later, it is true Christian morality, from Gogol’s point of view, that is the saving force that keeps a person from spiritual fall and spiritual death. Therefore, the image of the Box cannot be considered satirical image- one-sidedness, “club-headedness” is no longer caused by laughter, but by sad reflections: “But why, among the unthinking, cheerful, carefree minutes, will another wonderful stream suddenly rush by itself: laughter has not yet had time to completely escape from the face, but has already become different among those same people, and the face was illuminated with a different light..."
A further meeting with Nozdryov - a scoundrel, a brawler and a rogue - shows that worse than the one-sidedness of life can be dishonor, a willingness to do nasty things to one’s neighbor, sometimes for no reason at all, and excessive activity that has no purpose. In this respect, Nozdryov is a kind of antipode to Korobochka: instead of one-sidedness of life - excessive scatteredness, instead of veneration of rank - contempt for any conventions, even to the point of violating the elementary norms of human relations and behavior. Gogol himself said: “...My heroes follow one after another, one more vulgar than the other.” Vulgarity is a spiritual fall, and the degree of vulgarity in life is the degree of triumph of death over life in the human soul.
So, the image of Korobochka reflects a widespread, from the author’s point of view, type of people who limit their lives to only one sphere, who “rest their foreheads” on one thing and do not see, and most importantly - do not want to see - anything that exists apart from the subject of their attention. Gogol chooses the material sphere - taking care of the household. The box achieves a sufficient level in this area for a woman, a widow, who has to manage a decent-sized estate. But her life is so concentrated on this that she does not and cannot have any other interests. That's why real life it remains in the past, and the present, and especially the future, is not life. but only existence.
Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov ends up with the landowner Korobochka at an inopportune hour, having lost his way, and even rolled out in the mud after falling from a chaise. The horses, driven by the not entirely sober coachman Selifan, literally crash into the fence of her house.
The image of Korobochka is very interesting. Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka gives shelter to belated travelers, since Chichikov introduces himself as a nobleman, which makes a favorable impression on the widow-landowner. Let's briefly look at Chichikov's visit to Korobochka and brief description Boxes.
Characteristics of the landowner Korobochka
Korobochka's strong and neat farm is located in a secluded place, far from public roads, so life on the estate looks frozen. Significant details that emphasize the frozen world of the heroine and the very image of Korobochka are a huge number of flies and a wall clock hissing like snakes.
The landowner living in the wilderness is cordial, hospitable and caring. She, despite two o'clock in the morning, offers Chichikov food, rubbing his back after a fall, and even scratching his heels before bed, as was previously done to the late master.
But Chichikov, whose eyes are already sticking together from the desire to sleep, as if they had been doused with honey, gratefully refuses everything.
Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka’s caring nature is manifested in the fact that she gives the servants the task of cleaning and drying all the guest’s dirty clothes. After this, Chichikov literally falls into a huge, lush feather bed, and in the morning he wakes up from an invasion of flies, one of which even manages to get into his nose.
Chichikov amazes the landowner with his proposal to sell dead peasant souls. Nastasya Petrovna is at a loss and does not understand all the benefits of the offer made to her, because before that she had to trade only honey, flour, hemp, bird feathers, but not dead serfs.
Chichikov mentally calls her “strong-headed” and “club-headed” in his hearts.
Some more details of the image of landowner Korobochka
The image of Korobochka is also revealed in the fact that, after a fair amount of haggling, the widow of the college secretary finally agrees to the deal and treats Chichikov to all kinds of dishes: mushrooms, pies, pancakes. The pancakes are so delicious that Pavel Ivanovich eats three of them at once.
After such a warm welcome, Chichikov gets into his chaise and leaves with the thought that Korobochka is a born entrepreneur, trying with all his might to sell his products profitably to anyone and everyone and earn as much money as possible. more money. Then you can carefully put them in bags and hide them in the chest of drawers. This is the image of Korobochka.
Chichikov also visited other landowners of the city No., among them were such characters from Dead Souls as Nozdryov, Sobakevich and Manilov. Check out their characteristics to get a complete impression of
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol created his work “Dead Souls” in 1842. In it he depicted a whole series of Russian landowners, created their grotesque and vivid images. One of the most interesting representatives of this class described in the poem is Korobochka. The characteristics of this heroine will be discussed in this article.
Characteristics plan
The plan according to which the analysis of the landowners - the characters of the work "Dead Souls" is carried out, includes one way or another the following points:
- the first impression the hero makes;
- characteristic features of this character;
- speech and behavior;
- the hero’s attitude towards the household;
- attitude towards other people;
- goals in life;
- conclusions.
Let's try to analyze according to this plan the image of such a heroine as Korobochka ("Dead Souls"). Our characterization will begin with the first impression that the heroine made on Chichikov. The third chapter of the work is devoted to creating the image of Korobochka.
Chichikov's first impression
Korobochka Nastasya Petrovna is a landowner who is the widow of a very thrifty and thrifty woman, already elderly.
Her village is small, but everything in it is in good order, the economy is thriving and brings in a good income. Korobochka compares favorably with Manilov: she knows the names of all the peasants who belong to her (quote from the text: “...knew almost all of them by heart”), speaks of them as diligent workers, and takes care of the farm on her own.
The behavior of this landowner, the address “father” to the guest, the desire to serve him (since Chichikov introduced himself as a nobleman), to provide the best possible accommodation for the night, to treat him - these are all features characteristic of the landowner class in the provinces. The portrait of Korobochka is not as detailed as the portraits of the other landowners. It seemed to be drawn out: first Chichikov heard the voice of the old maid (“a hoarse woman”), then another woman appeared, younger, but very similar to her, and finally, when he was shown into the house and he had already looked around, she came in herself Lady Korobochka (“Dead Souls”).
The portrait characteristics of the heroine are as follows. The author describes her as an elderly woman, wearing a “sleeping cap, put on hastily, with a flannel around her neck.” Quote characteristic Boxes ("Dead Souls") can be continued. Nikolai Vasilyevich emphasizes Korobochka’s old age in the image of the landowner; in the text further Chichikov calls her directly to himself - an old woman. This housewife especially does not change in the morning. Only her sleeping cap disappears from her image.
The box is just that, so the main character immediately discards the ceremony and gets down to business.
Attitude to the economy
We further describe such a character as Korobochka (“Dead Souls”). The characterization according to plan continues with the attitude of this heroine to the household. In understanding the image of this landowner, a large role is played by the description of the decoration of the rooms in the house, as well as the estate as a whole, which is distinguished by contentment and strength.
It is clear in everything that this woman is a good housewife. The windows of the room overlook the courtyard, which is filled with numerous birds and various “domestic creatures.” Further on you can see vegetable gardens, fruit trees, covered with nets from birds, there are also stuffed animals on poles, on one of which there is “the cap of the mistress herself.”
The wealth of their inhabitants is shown by peasant huts. This is also noted by Gogol (“Dead Souls”). The characterization (Box is an image also conveyed by external details) includes a description of not only the character himself, but also the environment associated with him. This must be remembered when conducting analysis. The economy of this landowner is clearly thriving, bringing her considerable profit. And the village itself is not small, it consists of eighty souls.
Characteristics
We continue to describe such a character as Korobochka (“Dead Souls”). The characteristics according to the plan are supplemented with the following details. Gogol includes this landowner among the small owners who complain about losses and crop failures and “hold their heads somewhat to one side,” and meanwhile collect a little money into “motley bags placed in the drawers of the chest of drawers.”
Manilov and Korobochka are antipodes in some way: the vulgarity of the first is hidden behind discussions about the Motherland, lofty phrases about its good, and Korobochka’s spiritual poverty appears in a natural, undisguised form. She doesn’t even pretend to be cultured: the whole appearance of the heroine emphasizes, first of all, the unpretentious simplicity that Korobochka has. The characterization of the hero “Dead Souls” also shows that this simplicity is found in Nastasya Petrovna in her relationships with people.
In the author's summary, it is noted that their decoration was ancient - striped old wallpaper, paintings depicting birds, small antique mirrors between the windows, framed in the form of leaves. Behind each of the mirrors was either a letter, a stocking, or an old deck of cards. The wall is decorated with a clock with flowers painted on the dial. Here are the items that are shown during Chichikov's short visit. They indicate that the people living in the rooms are more likely to look to the past than to the present.
Behavior
In the conversation about the acquisition of “dead” souls, the character and essence of Korobochka is fully revealed. At first, this woman cannot understand what the main character wants from her. When she finally understands what could be beneficial for her, bewilderment turns into a desire to get the greatest benefit from this transaction: because if someone needs the dead, therefore, they are the subject of bargaining, since they are worth something.
Attitude towards people
Dead souls become for Korobochka on a par with lard, flour, honey and hemp. She has already had to sell everything else (quite profitably, as we know), but this business seems unknown and new to her. This is where the desire not to sell things short comes into play. Gogol writes that she “began to be very afraid that this buyer would somehow cheat her.” The landowner infuriates Chichikov with her obstinacy, who was already counting on getting easy consent.
Here an epithet appears that expresses the essence of not only Korobochka, but also a whole landowner like this - “club-headed”.
Nikolai Vasilievich explains that neither social status, nor rank are the cause of this property. The phenomenon of "club-headedness" is very common. Its representative may even be a state-owned, respectable person who turns out to be a “perfect Korobochka.” The author explains that the essence of this trait is that if a person has taken something into his head, there is no way to overpower him, regardless of the number of arguments, clear as day, everything bounces off him, just like a rubber ball flies off a wall .
Purpose in life
The main goal of life pursued by Korobochka (“Dead Souls”), the characteristics of which are presented in this article, is the consolidation of personal wealth, non-stop accumulation. The thriftiness inherent in Korobochka reveals at the same time her inner insignificance. Apart from the desire to benefit and acquire something, she has no other feelings. The image of this hoarder is devoid of some of the “attractive” features characteristic of Manilov. Her interests are completely focused on farming.
Conclusions
At the end of the chapter about Korobochka, Gogol says that her image is typical; there is no significant difference between her and some representatives of the aristocracy. The author pays great attention to Chichikov's behavior, emphasizing that he behaves with this landowner more freely and simply than with Manilov.
This phenomenon is typical for Russian reality, Nikolai Vasilyevich proves how Prometheus turned into a fly. This is Korobochka (“Dead Souls”), which we characterized. It can be presented more clearly. To better understand the information, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the table that characterizes such a landowner as Korobochka (“Dead Souls”).
Characteristics (table) Boxes
| Appearance of Nastasya Petrovna | Landowner's estate | Characteristics of the Box | Attitude to Chichikov's proposal |
This is an elderly woman, with a flannel around her neck, wearing a cap. | Small house, old wallpaper, antique mirrors. Nothing is wasted on the farm, as evidenced by the net on the trees, as well as the cap on the scarecrow. The box taught everyone to be in order. The garden is well-kept, the yard is full of birds. Although the peasant huts are scattered, they still show the wealth of the inhabitants and are properly maintained. This landowner knows everything about every peasant, without keeping notes, she also remembers the names of the dead by heart. The unique “coat of arms” of the Box is a chest of drawers in which a turkey, a pig, and a rooster protrude from the slightly open drawers. The second row of drawers is filled with various “household vegetables,” and many bags stick out from the bottom ones. | Practical, economical, knows the value of money. Stingy, stupid, club-headed, hoarding landowner. | First of all, he wonders why they needed Chichikov is dead souls. He is afraid to undercut the deal. He knows exactly how many peasant souls died (18). Looks at dead people, like hemp or lard: suddenly they will come in handy on the farm. |
The landowner Korobochka ("Dead Souls") was introduced to you. The characterization with quotes from this heroine can be supplemented. The passages devoted to the decoration of rooms, housekeeping, and the agreement with Chichikov seem very interesting. You can extract quotes you like from the text and add them to them. this characteristic. We only succinctly described such a heroine as Korobochka (“Dead Souls”). The characterization was briefly presented in order to make the reader want to continue it independently.
