"Missing Certificate": a summary and analysis of the story of N. Gogol

The first book of Nikolai Gogol is “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka”. It was she who brought recognition and fame to the author. The final story of the first part of this book is “Missing Certificate”. A summary of this work is set forth in the article.

The narrative in this story is the eloquent clerk Thomas Grigorievich. The story happened long before it was told. Her hero is a young Cossack, to whom the narrator is his own grandson. The “Missing Letter”, the summary of which is presented below, is nothing but a mixture of Ukrainian folklore, a fantastic plot and a unique artistic style of a Russian writer.

Art style

Thomas begins his story with constant jokes and sayings. Before starting the story, he warns that the audience will make a terrible impression on the audience. He begins his story with a description of the character of his grandfather.

The character of the story “Missing Certificate” sets out its story in bright colorful language. A summary of it can be conveyed only approximately. After all, Gogol's style is unique. However, the characteristic of the Cossack, whose misadventures formed the basis of the plot, boils down to the following formulation: a man worthy of universal respect.

Hetman's quest

Once the hero of the story was sent to Constantinople as a messenger. He had to transmit some important message to the empress herself. This document is a missing letter. Its summary was not known to the Cossack, much less to his grandson. However, this is not so important. The plot of the story is the loss of this valuable document. And since the messenger clearly realized the importance of his mission, he hid the letter in the most secluded place, namely, he sewed it in a hat.

Fair

At that time, there was a fair nearby. Gogol always portrayed the picture of this national event in impressively rich colors. The “Missing Certificate,” the summary of which is the subject of our article, is not without a depiction of this unique phenomenon. Somewhere lies a reveler with a red nose, next to a reseller with flints, and in the distance a Muscovite spread his legs. In general, as relies on the fair, is full of all rabble.

Zaporozhets

Lyrical and philosophical digressions were often used in his work by Nikolai Gogol. “Missing letter”, the summary of which can be conveyed in a few sentences, in its original form is a lengthy speech of the narrator. And in his narrative there are also retreats. One of them is a characteristic of the Zaporizhzhya population and its individual representatives. One of them met the Cossack. After a short acquaintance, they decided to keep the path together.

On the road indulged in a brutal drinking party, as befits the Cossacks, and entertained each other with bikes. But suddenly a new friend of the Cossack somehow wilted, became gloomy. It turned out that his soul was sold to the devil. The Zaporozhets himself admitted this, however, he did not arouse the particular surprise of his friend with this recognition. What is the summary of the story “Missing Letter” and other stories from the famous book of Gogol? The lawlessness of the evil spirits and the implacable struggle of the heroes against him are the main motive of the narratives. And therefore, to the recognition of his new comrade, the Cossack replied: “Eka is not seen! And he made an instant promise that he would not sleep all night and protect his friend from evil attacks.

However, the messenger failed to keep his promises. He fell asleep. And in the morning I discovered that not only the Cossack had disappeared. There were no horses. Deciding that they had been taken away by Satan, since it was not very convenient to get to hell on foot, he calmed down for a while. However, the adventure was just beginning ...

The missing

The worst thing was that the Cossack did not find the caps. Accusing the devil of theft, the unlucky messenger used all kinds of curses. But it was necessary to correct the situation in more effective ways. And so he went to find out in the district whether anyone had seen the unclean with literacy. Nobody has seen. And the Chumaks who were nearby also noted that if the devil or Muscovite took something, then remember, as they knew. Only the shinkar gave valuable advice - you should go to the very depths of the forest, to a small river. According to this man, there was who the Cossack needed, that is, a devil, a witch or someone else from an unclean brotherhood.

Game with witches

Cossack, although he was not a dozen, he still felt fear, overcoming the path to a devilish place. But, having reached it, he was not so able to return the cap. The witches began to taunt him. And the oldest of them offered to return the cap, but only if the Cossack beat her a fool.

Playing cards with evil spirits was not an easy task. The witch kept cheating in her own way, in a diabolical way. But the Cossack still won, imperceptibly crossing the deck.

At this misfortune messenger ended. He safely passed the letter to the queen. And the only thing that later reminded him of these events was the strange behavior of his wife, who every year, exactly that day, suddenly began to dance and have fun. Such is the summary of the story “Missing Certificate”, which, like other works by Gogol, is better to read in full.