Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is a classic known to all of us since school times. This is a brilliant writer and a talented publicist, to whose work his interest to this day has not diminished. In this article we will turn to the fact that Gogol managed to write for his short life. The list of works by the author inspires respect, let us consider it in more detail.
About creativity
All the work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol is a single indissoluble whole, united by themes, motives and ideas. A lively bright syllable, a unique style, knowledge of the characters found in the Russian people - this is what Gogol is so famous for. The list of the author’s works is very diverse: there are sketches from the lives of farmers, and descriptions of landowners with their vices, the characters of serfs are widely represented, the life of the capital and the county town is shown. Truly Gogol describes the whole picture of the Russian reality of his time, without making any distinction between estates and geographical location.
Gogol: list of works
We list the main works of the writer. For convenience, the stories are combined in cycles:
- cycle "Mirgorod", which includes the story "Taras Bulba";
- Petersburg Tales includes the story The Overcoat;
- the cycle “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”, which includes one of Gogol’s most famous works - “The Night Before Christmas”;
- the play "The Examiner";
- the “Arabesque” cycle, which stands out strikingly from the background of everything written by the author, as it combines journalism and artistry;
- the poem Dead Souls.
Now we will analyze in more detail the key works in the writer's work.
The cycle “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”
This cycle was the first book of Nikolai Vasilievich and was published in two parts. The first was published in 1831, and the second only a year later.
The stories of this collection describe stories from the lives of farmers that occurred in different time periods, for example, the action of May Night takes place in the XVIII century, and Terrible Revenge in XVII. All works are combined in the image of the narrator - uncle Thomas G., who retells the stories he once heard.
The most famous story in this series is The Night Before Christmas, written in 1830. Her actions take place during the reign of Catherine II in Ukraine, in the village of Dikanka. The story is fully sustained in a romantic tradition with its mystical elements and unusual situations.
The Examiner
This play is considered the most famous work of Gogol. This is due to the fact that from the moment it was first staged in the theater (1836), to this day it has not left the theater stage, not only in our country, but also abroad. This work was a reflection of the vices, arbitrariness and limitedness of county officials. That is how the provincial towns of Gogol saw it. The list of the author’s works cannot be compiled without mentioning this play.
Despite the socio-moral subtext and criticism of autocracy, which are well guessed under the cover of humor, the play was not banned either during the author's lifetime or later. And her success can be explained by the fact that Gogol was able to unusually accurately and accurately portray the vicious representatives of his time, who, unfortunately, are found today.
Petersburg Tales
Gogol's stories included in this collection were written at different times - from about the 30s to the 40s of the XIX century. Unites their common locale - St. Petersburg. The uniqueness of this collection is that all the stories included in it are written in the spirit of fantastic realism. It was Gogol who managed to develop this method and so brilliantly embody it in his cycle.
What is fantastic realism? This is a method that allows using grotesque and fiction techniques in the image of reality, while maintaining the topicality and recognition of images. So, despite the absurdity of what is happening, the reader will easily recognize the features of the real Northern Palmyra in the image of fictional Petersburg.
In addition, one way or another, the hero of each work of the cycle is the city itself. Petersburg, in Gogol's view, appears as a force destroying man. This destruction can occur on a physical or spiritual level. A person may die, may lose his personality and become a simple layman.
"Overcoat"
This work is included in the collection "Petersburg Tales". This time at the center of the story is Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin, a petty official. In this work, N. V. Gogol tells about the life and dream of the "little man". Overcoat - this is the limit of desires of the protagonist. But gradually this thing grows, becomes larger than the character himself and ultimately absorbs it.
Between Bashmachkin and his greatcoat some mystical connection forms. The hero seems to give part of his soul to this wardrobe item. That is why Akaki Akakievich dies a few days after the disappearance of his greatcoat. After all, together with her, he lost a part of himself.
The main problems of the story is the pernicious dependence of people on things. The subject has become the determining factor in judging a person, and not his personality - this is the horror of reality, according to Gogol.
The poem Dead Souls
Initially, the author intended the poem to be divided into three parts. The first describes a kind of "hell" of reality. In the second - “purgatory”, when the hero had to realize his sins and set foot on the path of repentance. In the third - "paradise", the rebirth of the character.
However, the author created only the first part. An attempt to write a sequel was unsuccessful, and the second volume Gogol himself burned. The only thing left of the manuscript is a few chapters from the drafts.
At the center of the story is a former customs official Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. This gentleman all his life dreamed of only one thing - to earn a fortune. And now, in order to fulfill his dream, he embarked on an adventure. Its meaning was to buy up dead peasants, who were listed as living by the last census. Having obtained a certain number of such souls, he could borrow a decent amount from the state and go somewhere with her to warm places.
About what adventures await Chichikov, and tells the first and only volume of Dead Souls.