For more than a century and a half, interest in the amazing work written by N.V. Gogol has not disappeared. “Dead Souls” (a brief retelling of the chapters given below) is a poem about the modern writer of Russia, its vices and shortcomings. Unfortunately, many things described in the first half of the 19th century by Nikolai Vasilievich still exist, which makes the work relevant today.
Chapter 1. Acquaintance with Chichikov
In the provincial city of NN entered a chaise, in which sat a gentleman of ordinary appearance. She stopped at a tavern where she could rent a room for two rubles. Selifan, the coachman, and Parsley, the footman, brought a suitcase and a chest into the room, whose appearance indicated that they often traveled. So you can start a brief retelling of Dead Souls.
Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the visitor - a college adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. He immediately went to the hall, where he ordered lunch and began to question the servant about local officials and landowners. And the next day the hero paid visits to all important persons of the city, including the governor. When meeting Pavel Ivanovich, he said that he was looking for a new place of residence. He made a very good impression, as he could flatter and show respect to everyone. As a result, Chichikov immediately received a lot of invitations: to a party to the governor and tea to other officials.
A brief retelling of the first chapter of “Dead Souls” continues with a description of the reception of the mayor. The author gives an eloquent assessment of the high society of the city of NN, comparing the guests of the governor with flies flying over the refinery. Gogol also notes that all the men here, however, as elsewhere, were divided into “thin” and “fat” - he attributed the main character to the latter. The position of the former was unstable and unstable. But the second, if they sit somewhere, then forever.
For Chichikov, the evening passed with benefit: he met the wealthy landowners Manilov and Sobakevich and received an invitation from them to visit. The main question that Pavel Ivanovich interested in talking with them was how many souls they have.
In the next few days, the visitor visited officials and charmed all the noble inhabitants of the city.
Chapter 2. At Manilov
More than a week passed, and Chichikov finally decided to visit Manilov and Sobakevich.
A brief retelling of Chapter 2 of Dead Souls begins with a characterization of the hero's servant. Parsley was taciturn, but loved to read. He also never undressed and everywhere wore his own special smell, which caused Chichikov's discontent. So the author writes about him.
But back to the hero. He drove quite a bit before he saw the Manilov estate. The two-story manor house stood alone on the decorated turf Jurassic. He was surrounded by bushes, flower beds, a pond. Particular attention was drawn to the arbor with the strange inscription "Temple of Solitary Thinking." Peasant huts looked gray and desolate.
A brief retelling of Dead Souls continues with a description of the meeting between the host and the guest. The smiling Manilov kissed Pavel Ivanovich and invited him to a house that was not as equipped inside as the entire estate. So, one chair did not fit, and on the windowsill in the office the owner laid out slides of ash from the tube. The landowner was dreaming of some projects that remained unrealized. However, he did not notice that his economy was increasingly declining.
Gogol especially notes Manilov’s relationship with his wife: they cooed, trying to please each other in everything. The city officials were the finest people for them. And they gave their children strange antique names and at dinner everyone tried to show their education. In general, talking about the landowner, the author emphasizes the following idea: so much sweetness came from the host’s appearance that the first impression of his attractiveness quickly changed. And by the end of the meeting, it already seemed that Manilov was neither. This characterization of this hero gives the author.
But we continue the shortest retelling. Dead souls soon became the subject of conversation between the guest and Manilov. Chichikov asked to sell him the dead peasants, who, according to audit documents, were still considered alive. The owner was at first confused, and then gave them to the guest just like that. He could not take money from such a good person.
Chapter 3. Box
Saying goodbye to Manilov, Chichikov went to Sobakevich. But on the way he got lost, fell in the rain and already in the dark ended up in some village. He was met by the hostess herself - Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka.
The hero slept well on a soft feather bed and, waking up, noticed his cleaned dress. Out the window he saw many birds and strong peasant huts. The situation of the room and the behavior of the hostess testified to her frugality and frugality.
During breakfast, Chichikov, without ceremony, started a conversation about the dead peasants. Nastasya Petrovna at first did not understand how to sell non-existent goods. Then she was afraid to cheapen, saying that the matter was new to her. The box was not as simple as it seemed at first - a brief retelling of Dead Souls leads to such an idea. Chapter 3 ends with Chichikov promising the landowner to buy honey and hemp in the fall. After that, the guest and hostess finally agreed on a price and concluded a deed of purchase.
Chapter 4. Quarrel with Nozdryov
From the rain, the road was so blurred that by noon the stroller got out onto the pole. Chichikov decided to call in a tavern where he met Nozdrev. They met with the prosecutor, and now the landowner acted as if Pavel Ivanovich was his best friend. Having no opportunity to get rid of Nozdrev, the hero went to his estate. You will learn about the trouble that happened there if you read a further brief retelling of Dead Souls.
Chapter 4 introduces the reader to the landowner, who has earned the fame of a rowdy and scandal instigator, player and money changer. Svintus and other similar words were common in his vocabulary. Not a single meeting with this man ended peacefully, and most of all came to people who had the misfortune to get to know him closely.
Upon arrival, Nozdrev led his son-in-law and Chichikov to look at the empty stalls, kennel, fields. Our hero felt overwhelmed and disappointed. But the main thing was ahead. There was a quarrel over dinner, continued next morning. As the shortest retelling shows, dead souls became the cause. When Chichikov started a conversation for the sake of which he went to the landowners, Nozdrev easily promised to give him non-existent peasants. All that was required of the guest was to buy a horse, a barrel organ and a dog from him. And in the morning the owner offered to play checkers for the soul and began to cheat. Having discovered this, Pavel Ivanovich was almost beaten. It is difficult to describe how he was delighted at the appearance in the house of a warrant captain who had come to arrest Nozdrev.
Chapter 5. In the house of Sobakevich
Another trouble happened along the way. Selifan’s unreasonableness caused Chichikov’s stroller to collide with another wagon in which six horses were harnessed. In unraveling the horses took part the men who had run from the village. And the hero himself drew attention to a lovely blond young lady sitting in a stroller.
A brief retelling of Gogol's “Dead Souls” continues with a description of the meeting with Sobakevich, which finally took place. The village and house that appeared before the eyes of the hero were great. Everything was distinguished by quality and durability. The landowner himself resembled a bear: in appearance, and in gait, and in the color of his clothes. And all the objects in the house were like the owner. Sobakevich was laconic. I ate a lot at dinner, but spoke negatively about the city governors.
He took the offer to sell dead souls calmly and immediately set a rather high price (two rubles and a half), since all the peasants he had recorded and each of them had some special quality. The guest did not like it very much, but he accepted the conditions.
Then Pavel Ivanovich went to Plyushkin, about which he learned from Sobakevich. According to the latter, the peasants died like flies, and the hero hoped to profitably purchase them. The correctness of this decision is confirmed by a brief retelling ("Dead Souls").
Chapter 6 Paid
Such a nickname was given to the master by a man from whom Chichikov asked for directions. And the appearance of Plyushkin justified him completely.
Having passed through strange dilapidated streets, which said that there was once a strong economy, the carriage stopped at the master’s house with a disability. In the yard there was a certain creature and quarreled with a peasant. It was impossible to immediately determine his gender and position. Seeing a bunch of keys on his belt, Chichikov decided that it was a key keeper, and ordered to call the owner. What was his surprise when he found out: before him stands one of the richest landowners in the district. In the appearance of Plyushkin, Gogol draws attention to the living, running eyes.
A brief retelling of "Dead Souls" in chapters allows us to note only the essential features of the landowners who became the heroes of the poem. Plyushkin stands out because the author tells the story of his life. He was once an economical and hospitable host. However, after the death of his wife, Plyushkin became stingier. As a result, the son shot himself, as the father did not help pay the debts. One daughter escaped and received a curse, the other died. Over the years, the landowner turned into such a miser, that he picked up all the garbage on the street. He himself and his household turned into rot. Gogol calls Plyushkin “a hole in humanity,” the reason for which, unfortunately, can not be fully explained by a brief retelling.
Chichikov bought dead souls from a landowner at a very favorable price for himself. It was enough to tell Plyushkin that this exempted him from paying duties for the long-standing peasants, as he gladly agreed to everything.
Chapter 7. Paperwork
Chichikov, who returned to the city, woke up in the morning in a good mood. He immediately rushed to review the lists of purchased souls. He was especially interested in the paper compiled by Sobakevich. The landowner gave a full description of each man. Before the hero, Russian peasants seem to come to life, in connection with which he embarks on discussions about their difficult fate. Everyone, as a rule, has one fate - to pull the strap until the end of their days. Having realized it, Pavel Ivanovich got into the ward for paperwork.
A brief retelling of Dead Souls takes the reader into the world of officials. On the street Chichikov met Manilov, still caring and good-natured. And fortunately, Sobakevich was in the room. Pavel Ivanovich walked from one office to another for a long time and patiently explained the purpose of the visit. Finally he gave a bribe, and the case was immediately completed. And the hero’s legend that he takes the peasants for export to the Kherson province did not cause any questions. At the end of the day everyone went to the chairman, where they drank for the health of the new landowner, wished him good luck and promised to find a bride.
Chapter 8. The situation is heating up
Rumors of a large purchase of peasants soon spread throughout the city, and Chichikov was considered a millionaire. Everywhere he was given signs of attention, especially since the hero, as shown by a brief retelling of “Dead Souls” in chapters, could easily win over people. However, the unexpected soon happened.
The governor gave a ball, and of course, Pavel Ivanovich was in the spotlight. Now everyone wanted to please him. Suddenly, the hero noticed the very young lady (she turned out to be the daughter of the governor), whom she met on the way from Korobochka to Nozdrev. Even at the first meeting, she charmed Chichikov. And now all the hero’s attention was turned to the girl, which caused the anger of other ladies. They suddenly saw in Pavel Ivanovich the worst enemy.
The second trouble that happened on this day was Nozdrev at the ball and began to talk about how Chichikov was buying up the souls of dead peasants. And although no one attached importance to his words, Pavel Ivanovich felt uneasy all evening and returned to his room ahead of time.
After leaving the guest, the box wondered if it had made cheaper. Exhausted, the landowner decided to go to the city to find out how much the dead peasants are now selling. The next chapter (her brief retelling) will tell about the consequences of this. “Dead Souls" Gogol continues with a description of how unsuccessfully events began to develop for the protagonist.
Chapter 9 Chichikov in the center of the scandal
The next morning, the two ladies met: one is simply pleasant, the other is pleasant in all respects. They discussed the latest news, the main one of which was the story of Korobochka. Let us give it a very brief retelling (it was directly related to dead souls).
According to the guest, the first lady, Nastasya Petrovna stopped at her friend’s house. She told her about how the armed Pavel Ivanovich appeared at night on the estate and began to demand that the souls of the dead be sold to him. The second lady added that her husband had heard of such a purchase from Nozdrev. Having discussed the incident, the women decided that all this was just a cover. The true goal of Chichikov is to kidnap the governor's daughter. They immediately shared a hunch with the prosecutor who entered the room and went to the city. Soon all its inhabitants were divided into two halves. Ladies discussed the abduction version, and men discussed the purchase of dead souls. The governor ordered Chichikov's servants not to be allowed on the threshold. And the officials gathered at the police chief and tried to find an explanation for what had happened.
Chapter 10 The story of Kopeikin
We went through many options of who Pavel Ivanovich could be. Suddenly the postmaster exclaimed: “Captain Kopeikin!” And he told the life story of a mysterious man, about which those present did not know anything. She will continue the brief retelling of chapter 10 of Dead Souls.
In the 12th year, Kopeikin lost his arms and legs in the war. He could not earn money and therefore went to the capital to ask the monarch for well-deserved help. In St. Petersburg, he stopped at a tavern, found a commission, and began to wait for an appointment. The nobleman immediately noticed the disabled person, and, learning about his problem, advised him to come back in a few days. The next time he assured that soon everything would certainly be decided and a pension would be appointed. And at the third meeting, Kopeikin, who had not received anything, made a fuss and was expelled from the city. No one knew exactly where the disabled person was taken. But when a band of robbers appeared in the Ryazanshchina, everyone decided that its leader was none other than ... Further, all the officials agreed that Chichikov could not be Kopeikin: he had both a hand and a leg in place. Someone suggested that Pavel Ivanovich is Napoleon. After a little more reasoning, the officials parted. And the prosecutor, having come home, died of shock. With this, a brief retelling of Dead Souls comes to an end.
All this time, the culprit of the scandal was in the sick room and was surprised that no one was visiting him. Feeling a little better, he decided to go on a visit. But the governor Pavel Ivanovich was not accepted, and the rest clearly avoided meeting. Everything was explained by the arrival of Nozdrev at the hotel. It was he who informed that Chichikov was accused of preparing the abduction and making false bank notes. Pavel Ivanovich immediately ordered Petrushka and Selifan to prepare for departure early in the morning.
Chapter 11. The life story of Chichikov
However, the hero woke up later than planned. Then Selifan declared that horses should be horseshoe. Finally, we set off on the road and met a funeral procession on the road - the prosecutor was buried. Chichikov hid behind the curtain and secretly examined officials. But they did not even notice him. Now they were worried about something else: what the new governor general would be like. As a result, the hero decided that meeting a funeral was good. And the carriage went forward. And the author gives the life story of Pavel Ivanovich (hereinafter we give a brief retelling of it). It was no coincidence that dead souls (chapter 11 points to this) came to Chichikov’s head.
The childhood of Paulus can hardly be called happy. His mother died early, and his father often punished him. Then Chichikov Sr. took his son to the city school and left to live with a relative. In parting, he gave some advice. Teachers please. Make friends only with wealthy classmates. Do not treat anyone, but arrange everything so that they treat themselves. And most importantly - save a pretty penny. Pavlush fulfilled all the covenants of his father. To the fifty dollars left at parting, he soon added his earnings. He was subdued by his diligence by his diligence: no one could sit as roughly in the lessons as he was. And although he received a good certificate, he began to work from the bottom. Moreover, after the death of his father, he inherited only a dilapidated house, which Chichikov sold for a thousand, and servants.
Having entered the service, Pavel Ivanovich showed incredible zeal: he worked a lot, slept in the office. At the same time, he always looked beautiful and pleased everyone. Having learned that the boss has a daughter, he began to look after her, and the matter even went to the wedding. But as soon as Chichikov was promoted, he moved from the boss to another apartment, and everyone soon somehow forgot about the engagement. This was the most difficult step towards the goal. And the hero dreamed of great wealth and an important place in society.
When the fight against bribery began, Pavel Ivanovich made the first fortune. But he did everything through secretaries and clerks, therefore he himself remained clean and earned a reputation with the leadership. Thanks to this, I was able to attach myself to construction - instead of the planned buildings, officials, including the hero, had new houses. But here Chichikova was in for failure: the arrival of a new boss deprived him of his position and condition.
He began to build a career from the very beginning. Miraculously got to customs - a fertile place. Thanks to quickness and servility, he achieved a lot. But suddenly he quarreled with a friend-official (they were doing business with smugglers together), and he wrote a denunciation. Pavel Ivanovich was left with nothing again. He managed to hide only ten thousand and two servants.
The way out of the situation was suggested by the secretary of the office, in which Chichikov, due to the duty of the new service, was to mortgage the estate. When it came to the number of peasants, the official said: “They died, but they are still on the audit lists. Some will not, others will be born - everything will work. ” Then the thought came to buy dead souls. It will be difficult to prove that there are no peasants: Chichikov purchased them for export. For this, he acquired land in advance in the Kherson province. And the Board of Trustees will give two hundred rubles for every registered soul. Here is the condition. So the reader reveals the intent of the protagonist and the essence of all his actions. The main thing is to be careful, and everything will work out. The stroller rushed on, and Chichikov, who loved a fast ride, only smiled.
The author finishes the story of the adventures of his hero by reasoning about Russia, which, like a troika, rushes somewhere ahead. Such is the brief retelling of Dead Souls by N. Gogol.