Descriptions of the landowner Sobakevich. Composition on the topic: Sobakevich. Artwork: Dead Souls. Gallery of images of the poem

Sobakevich Mikhailo Semenych - the fourth (after Nozdrev, before Plyushkin) "seller" of "dead souls" to Chichikov; endowed with a powerful "nature" - in the 7th chapter he complains to the Chairman of the Chamber and Chichikov that he lives in his fifth decade, and has never been sick, and someday he will have to "pay" for this; appetite corresponds to his powerful nature - in the same chapter, he “eats” a sturgeon of 9 pounds.

The name itself, repeatedly played up by the narrator (Sobakevich resembles “a medium-sized bear; the tailcoat on it is“ completely bearish ”color; he steps at random; the color of the face, on which the eyes seem to be drilled with a drill, is red-hot, hot), indicates a powerful “animal-like” hero, on his bear-dog features. All this connects S. with the type of rude landowner Taras Skotinin from D. I. Fonvizin’s The Undergrowth. However, this connection is more external than internal; The attitude of the author to the hero is much more complicated here.

Chichikov's acquaintance with S. takes place in the 1st chapter, at a party at the governor's; the hero immediately draws attention to the clumsiness of the interlocutor (S. first steps on his foot). Intending to visit the village of S. immediately after Manilovka, Chichikov nevertheless gets to him, having managed to bargain with Korobochka along the way and play checkers with the violent Nozdryov. S. Chichikov enters the village at a time when all his thoughts are occupied with the dream of a 200,000-strong dowry - so that the image of S. from the very beginning is associated with the theme of money, thrift, calculation. S.'s behavior corresponds to such a "beginning".

After a more than hearty dinner (a fat “nanny”, meat, cheesecakes that are much larger than a plate, a turkey the size of a calf, etc.), Chichikov starts a florid speech about the interests of “the entire Russian state as a whole” and evasively leads to the subject of interest to him. But S. himself, bluntly, busily goes to the heart of the matter: "Do you need dead souls?" The main thing is the price of the transaction (starting with a hundred rubles for a revision soul against Chichikov's eight hryvnias, he eventually agrees to two and a half, but slips a "female" soul into the "male" list - Elisavet Vorobey). S.'s arguments are devastatingly simple: if Chichikov is ready to buy dead souls, then he hopes to extract his own benefit - and you should bargain with him. As for the proposed “goods”, it is of the best quality - all souls are “like a vigorous nut”, like the owner of the dead serfs himself.

Naturally, the mental image of S. is reflected in everything that surrounds him. From the landscape - two forests, birch and oak, like two wings, and in the middle a wooden house with a mezzanine - to the "wild" color of the walls. In the design of the house, "symmetry" struggles with "convenience"; all useless architectural beauties are eliminated. Extra windows are clogged, instead of them one small one is drilled; the interfering fourth column was removed. The huts of the peasants were also built without the usual village "tricks", without decorations. But they are made "as it should be" and durable; even a well - and that one is built into the oak, usually going to the construction of mills.

Paintings are hung in S.'s house, depicting entirely "well done", Greek heroes-commanders of the early 1820s, whose images seem to be written off from himself. These are Mavrocordato in red trousers and glasses on his nose, Kolokotroni and others, all with thick thighs and unheard-of mustaches. (Obviously, in order to emphasize their power, among the “Greek” portraits, the “Georgian” one - the image of the skinny Bagration - was tucked in.) The Greek heroine Bobelina is also endowed with magnificent thickness - her leg is more extensive than the torso of some dandy. "Greek" images, sometimes parodic, sometimes seriously, all the time appear on the pages of "Dead Souls", pass through the entire plot space of Gogol's poem, originally likened to Homer's "Iliad". These images echo, rhyme with the central "Roman" image of Virgil, who leads Dante through the circles of Hell - and, pointing to the ancient ideal of plastic harmony, brightly set off the imperfection of modern life.

Not only portraits are similar to S.; similar to him and dark-colored thrush with white speckles, and a pot-bellied hazel bureau on preposterous legs, "a perfect bear." Everything around seems to want to say: “And I, too, Sobakevich!” In turn, he also looks like an “object” - his legs are like cast-iron pedestals.

But for all his "heaviness", rudeness, S. is unusually expressive. This is a type of Russian kulak (controversy about this type was carried out in the Russian press of the 1830s) - oddly tailored, but tightly sewn. Whether he was born a bear, or his provincial life “beared” him, all the same, with all his “dog disposition” and resemblance to the Vyatka squat horses, S. is the owner; his peasants live well, safely. (Here follows the author's digression about life in St. Petersburg, which could have ruined S, corrupting him with bureaucratic omnipotence.) The fact that natural power and efficiency, as it were, became heavy in him, turned into dull inertia - rather a misfortune than the hero's fault.

If Manilov lives outside of time altogether, if time in Korobochka’s world has slowed down terribly, like her hissing wall clock, and has tipped over into the past (as indicated by Kutuzov’s portrait), and Nozdryov lives only in every given second, then S. is registered in modernity, in 1820s (age of the Greek heroes). Unlike all previous characters and in full agreement with the narrator, S. - precisely because he himself is endowed with excessive, truly heroic strength - sees how crushed, how exhausted the current life is. During the bargain, he remarks: “However, even then to say: what kind of people are these? flies, not people”, much worse than the dead.

The more God has put into the personality, the more terrible is the gap between its purpose and the real state. But the more chances for the rebirth and transformation of the soul. S. is the first in a series of types outlined by Gogol who is directly correlated with one of the characters in the 2nd volume, which depicts heroes, albeit by no means ideal, but still cleansed of many of their passions. Household C, "Greek" portraits on the walls, the "Greek" name of his wife (Feoduliya Ivanovna) will rhyme in the Greek name and social type of the zealous landowner Kostanzhoglo. And the connection between the name of S. - Mikhailo Ivanovich - and "humanoid" bears from Russian fairy tales rooted his image in the ideal space of folklore, softening the "animal" associations. But at the same time, the “negative” properties of the zealous soul of S. seem to be projected onto the image of the stingy Plyushkin, thickening in him to the last degree.

This article will consider the characteristics of the landowner Sobakevich - one of the main characters in the work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol "Dead Souls". It is interesting that the idea of ​​this poem belonged to the great poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, and Gogol only fulfilled his promise to him - he created the work.

It should be noted that he did not complete his mission, because it was originally planned to create three volumes of the poem (in the likeness of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise), but only the first one reached the reader. There is an assumption that the almost completely finished second volume was destroyed by the writer for unknown reasons, and Gogol did not have time to write the third. In order to get at least a little closer to unraveling the mysteries associated with the fate of these works of the great writer, philologists of our time carefully analyze and study the images of his heroes, creating Sobakevich, Korobochka, Manilov, Nozdrev, Plyushkin and other characters of the work.

History of writing

It must be said that the poem "Dead Souls", like many other works of the author, is an immortal work of literary art. It depicts the reality of Russia in the 19th century, which is reflected in today's day. The activities of ignorant officials, the arbitrariness of the authorities, the plight of ordinary people - all this is fully represented by the author on the pages of the work.

In addition to giving a description of different types of people, Nikolai Vasilyevich also describes inanimate objects in detail, which allows the reader to clearly imagine the way of life of the Russian people in the 19th century. The key figures of the poem allow creating a general idea of ​​​​the people of that time: Chichikov, Manilov, Korobochka, Plyushkin, Sobakevich. The characterization of the hero is presented by Gogol in such a way that each of them is endowed with both typical features of the representatives of the era, and individual ones that are different from others.

An interesting discovery of observers and researchers was also that the sequence of appearance of characters in Gogol's poem is not random, everything is subject to a certain order. This fact allows us to get closer to understanding the main idea of ​​the work.

Landowner Sobakevich: characterization of the hero

Dead souls were sold by many landowners. Sobakevich Mikhailo Semenovich deserves special attention among them. The author introduces the reader to this hero long before he appears in the plot. First, Gogol describes his possessions, as if preparing the reader for the perception of such a difficult character as Sobakevich. The characterization of the hero is revealed through a detailed depiction of his village, a large village with strong buildings. The house of Sobakevich himself was a solid structure and seemed to be eternal. Peasant estates were also distinguished by good quality and reliability. But, as Chichikov noticed when he entered the village of Sobakevich, that the owner of the property was not at all concerned about the aesthetics of the buildings, there was not a single superfluous "useless" decorative element on them. The appearance of the buildings was not distinguished by sophistication, practicality and functionality - this is the main feature of the buildings owned by the landowner Sobakevich.

The characteristic of the hero is also traced in the description of the surrounding nature. The author tells that there was a pine forest on one side of the village, and a birch forest on the other. He compares the forests with the wings of one bird, only one of them is light and the other is dark. So Gogol makes it clear to the reader that Sobakevich, the owner of the property, is endowed with different personal qualities.

Appearance of the landlord

A brief description of Sobakevich, in particular his appearance, is given by the author in the work itself. Gogol compares the hero with a medium-sized bear, focuses on his bear-colored tailcoat. Even the name, Mikhailo Semenovich, was not chosen by chance, it is involuntarily associated with a brown clubfoot animal. In addition, the landowner Sobakevich moved like a bear, now and then stepping on someone's feet.

The hero has a hot, red-hot complexion, which undoubtedly once again indicates the inviolability and strength of his nature.

Character features

The author's description of the character is excellent. He reveals himself not only in appearance, gait, gestures, but also in the manner of speaking, and in the whole way of his life. From the first words, the hero is credited with an absolute earthliness of views and interests.

Every detail in Sobakevich's room was very similar to its owner. The paintings hanging in his house depicted Greek heroes, reminiscent of Mikhail Semenovich in appearance. The walnut bureau and the black-spotted thrush were similar to it.

Presented by the writer as a strong, prudent owner Mikhailo Sobakevich. The characterization of the hero makes it clear that his peasants live safely and calmly under his command. And his efficiency and natural power, which began to look like a dull inertia, is a disaster, not the fault of the hero.

Outlook on life

Sobakevich is hostile to everything connected with spirituality. In his understanding, culture and enlightenment are harmful and useless inventions. The main thing for him is taking care of his own well-being and a well-fed existence under any circumstances.

In a conversation with Chichikov, our hero shows himself to be a predator with a stranglehold, ready to seize prey at any cost. It is in this vein that the author characterizes Sobakevich. Dead souls - that's what Chichikov came to him for, and Mikhailo Semyonitch immediately called a spade a spade, without waiting for him to be weary of allusions. He was not ashamed to bargain and even cheat, slipping Elizaveta Sparrow to Chichikov. During the transaction, the main qualities of the landowner Sobakevich appeared. His straightforwardness and ingenuity sometimes bordered on rudeness, cynicism and ignorance.

Mikhailo Semenovich personally wrote a list of all his deceased peasants, in addition, he spoke about each of them - what he did, what character traits he possessed. At first glance, it might seem that Sobakevich is worried about his subordinates, since he knows so much about them. But in fact, he is guided by a simple calculation - he does not care who lives in his possessions, and he knows well who and how can be useful to him.

Sobakevich's relationship with the environment

An attentive reader will undoubtedly notice what Sobakevich is similar to other heroes and what are his differences. The main ones have already been mentioned above. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that Sobakevich does not accept stinginess, as evidenced by his desire for his subordinates to live well, and criticism towards the landowner Plyushkin, who, having eight hundred souls of peasants, eats like a shepherd. Sobakevich himself loved to eat delicious food. He also understands that one can get more from a strong peasant economy, which is probably why he keeps his wards in abundance.

The landowner speaks unflatteringly about officials, calling them "Christ-sellers" and swindlers. But this does not prevent him from doing business with them and making deals. And in general, not a single kind word came out of his mouth when he spoke about people with whom he is friends or communicates.

findings

That the author leaves Sobakevich a chance for revival, attributing to him many good qualities, there is no doubt that the soul of the landowner is dead. He, like many others, does not allow changes around and within himself, because only the person who has a soul can change.

The landowner Sobakevich is a very colorful character in Gogol's Dead Souls, outwardly resembling a bear with his clumsiness, massiveness and propensity for gluttony. He prefers half a side of lamb or a whole sturgeon to French delicacies in the form of frog legs or oysters. At the same time, Sobakevich is proud of his Russian heroic stomach, capable of digesting any food, and even in huge quantities. He openly mocks the diets of the French and Germans, and Sobakevich's characterization is already quite evident in this episode. After dinner at Mikhail Semyonovich's, Chichikov, who is buying dead souls from the landowners, feels himself weighed a whole pound.

The guest is struck by the fact that Sobakevich gives only negative characteristics to everyone around the landlords: his governor is almost a highway robber, the prosecutor is a pig, and his neighbor Plyushkin is a dog. This is where the characterization of Sobakevich in "Dead Souls" by Nikolai Gogol appears very clearly.

Sobakevich's conversation with Chichikov

By nature, Sobakevich is so unperturbed that he doesn’t even raise an eyebrow at Chichikov’s amazing offer to sell him dead souls, he immediately begins to bargain, asking for an exorbitantly high price - 100 rubles per soul. If we recall Chichikov's visit to Korobochka, then Nastasya Petrovna, in a similar situation, even bulged her eyes in amazement.

It is traded on a kulak scale, but the price per capita eventually drops to two and a half rubles. Such behavior is characteristic of Sobakevich's prudent and tight-fisted nature.

Speaking about the characteristics of Sobakevich, we note that he is not distinguished by a fine mental organization, flexibility of mind and craving for enlightenment, but he is a strong business executive who owns a large equipped village. He himself lives in a good house with a mezzanine and his peasants have strong and durable houses. In the household of Mikhail Semenovich, order and prosperity can be traced everywhere and in everything. You can also read quotes from the poem Dead Souls, which mention the words of the landowner Sobakevich.

Sobakevich loves everything strong, even if unpretentious in appearance. The bulky and durable pieces of furniture surrounding Mikhail Semenovich seem to say that they are also Sobakevichs.

Of the galleries of landowners represented by Nikolai Gogol in Dead Souls, Sobakevich is the most positive and least vulgar literary hero, despite all his earthiness.

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. For this purpose, 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 of people and even inanimate objects. Using this technique, Gogol masterfully depicts the way of life in Russia in the 19th 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, may 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 himself 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 is an interesting point in the 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 tells very little about the family ties of the characters. One gets the impression that they all came from nowhere, they have no roots, which means there is no life.

Sobakevich follows fourth in the gallery of Gogol's landowners. This image is compared with Shakespeare's Caliban, but there is also a lot of purely Russian, national in it.

The main features of Sobakevich are intelligence, efficiency, practical acumen, but at the same time, he is characterized by stinginess, some kind of heavy stability in views, character, lifestyle. These features are already noticeable in the Hero's Portrait itself, which looks like a bear of "medium size". They even call him Mikhail Semenovich. “To complete the resemblance, the tailcoat on him was completely bearish in color, the sleeves were long, the pantaloons were long, he stepped with his feet and at random and stepped incessantly on other people's legs. The complexion was red-hot, hot, which happens on a copper penny.

In the portrait of Sobakevich, one can feel the grotesque motif of the hero's rapprochement with an animal, with a thing. Thus, Gogol emphasizes the limited interests of the landowner in the world of material life.

Gogol also reveals the qualities of the hero through the landscape, interior and dialogues. The village of Sobakevich is "quite large". To the left and to the right of it are "two forests, birch and pine, like two wings, one dark, the other lighter." Already these forests speak of the thriftiness of the landowner, his practical acumen.

Fully corresponds to the external and internal appearance of the owner and his estate. Sobakevich does not care at all about the aesthetics, the external beauty of the objects surrounding him, thinking only about their functionality. Chichikov, approaching Sobakevich's house, notes that during the construction, obviously, "the architect constantly fought with the taste of the owner." “The architect was a pedant and wanted symmetry, the owner wanted convenience…”, remarks Gogol. This “convenience”, concern for the functionality of objects is manifested in Sobakevich in everything. The landowner's yard is surrounded by a "strong and excessively thick wooden lattice", the stables and sheds are made of full-weight, thick logs, even the village huts of the peasants are "cut down wonderfully" - "everything ... is fitted tightly and as it should."

The situation in Sobakevich's house reproduces the same "strong, clumsy order." A table, armchairs, chairs - all "of the most heaviest and restless nature", in the corner of the living room stands "a pot-bellied walnut bureau on absurd four legs, a perfect bear." Paintings of "Greek generals" hang on the walls - unusually strong and tall fellows, "with such thick thighs and unheard-of mustaches that a shiver passes through the body."

It is characteristic that here the motif of heroism reappears, "playing the role of a positive ideological pole in the poem." And this motif is set not only by the images of Greek commanders, but also by the portrait of Sobakevich himself, who has "the strongest and most marvelously stitched image." This motif reflected Gogol's dream of Russian heroism, concluded, according to the writer, not only in physical strength, but also in "the untold wealth of the Russian spirit." The writer captures here the very essence of the Russian soul: “Russian movements will rise ... and they will see how deeply that which slipped only through the nature of other peoples has sunk into Slavic nature.”

However, in the image of Sobakevich, the "wealth of the Russian spirit" is suppressed by the world of material life. The landowner is concerned only with the preservation of his wealth and the abundance of the table. Most of all, he loves to eat well and tasty, not recognizing foreign diets. So, lunch at Sobakevich's is very "diverse": stuffed mutton's stomach is served with cabbage soup, then "mutton's side with porridge", cheesecakes, stuffed turkey and jam follow. “When I have pork, put the whole pig on the table, lamb - drag the whole ram, goose - just the goose!” he says to Chichikov. Here Gogol debunks gluttony, one of the human vices that Orthodoxy struggles with.

Characteristically, Sobakevich is far from stupid: he immediately realized what the essence of Pavel Ivanovich's lengthy speech was and quickly set his price for the dead peasants. The landowner is logical and consistent during the bargaining with Chichikov.

Sobakevich is insightful in his own way, endowed with a sober view of things. He has no illusions about city officials: “... they are all swindlers; the whole city is like this: a swindler sits on a swindler and drives a swindler. In the words of the hero here lies the truth of the author, his position.

The mind of Sobakevich, his insight and, at the same time, "wildness", unsociableness, unsociableness of the landowner are manifested in his speech. Sobakevich speaks very clearly, briefly, without excessive "prettyness" and ornateness. So, to Chichikov's lengthy rantings about the burdensome duty of the landowners to pay taxes for revision souls, "who have finished their careers", Mikhail Ivanovich "reacts" with one phrase; "Do you need dead souls?" Discussing acquaintances, the landowner may scold, use a "strong word."

The image of Sobakevich in the poem is static: readers are not presented with the life story of the hero, any spiritual changes in him. However, the character before us is alive and multifaceted. As in the chapters on the rest of the landowners, Gogol uses here all the elements of the composition (landscape, interior, portrait, speech), subordinating them to the leitmotif of this image.