The Tale of Captain Kopeikin summary analysis. The meaning of "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" in the poem N

Each of the heroes of the poem - Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev, Sobakevich, Plyushkin, Chichikov - in itself does not represent anything of value. But Gogol managed to give them a generalized character and at the same time create a general picture of contemporary Russia. The title of the poem is symbolic and ambiguous. Dead souls are not only those who ended their earthly existence, not only the peasants who were bought by Chichikov, but also the landowners and provincial officials themselves, whom the reader meets on the pages of the poem. The words "dead souls" are used in the narrative in many shades and meanings. The prosperously living Sobakevich has a more dead soul than the serfs whom he sells to Chichikov and who exist only in memory and on paper, and Chichikov himself is a new type of hero, an entrepreneur in whom the features of the emerging bourgeoisie are embodied.

The chosen plot gave Gogol "complete freedom to travel all over Russia with the hero and bring out a multitude of the most diverse characters." The poem has a huge number of characters, all social strata of serf Russia are represented: the acquirer Chichikov, officials of the provincial city and the capital, representatives of the highest nobility, landowners and serfs. A significant place in the ideological and compositional structure of the work is occupied by lyrical digressions, in which the author touches on the most pressing social issues, and insert episodes, which is typical for the poem as a literary genre.

The composition of "Dead Souls" serves to reveal each of the characters, displayed in the overall picture. The author found an original and surprisingly simple compositional structure, which gave him the widest possibilities both for depicting life phenomena, and for connecting the narrative and lyrical principles, and for poetizing Russia.

The ratio of parts in "Dead Souls" is strictly thought out and subject to creative design. The first chapter of the poem can be defined as a kind of introduction. The action has not yet begun, and the author only outlines his characters in general terms. In the first chapter, the author introduces us to the peculiarities of the life of the provincial city, with city officials, landowners Manilov, Nozdrev and Sobakevich, as well as with the central character of the work - Chichikov, who begins to make profitable acquaintances and prepares for active actions, and his faithful companions - Petrushka and Selifan. In the same chapter, two peasants are described talking about the wheel of Chichikov's chaise, a young man dressed in a suit "with attempts on fashion", a fidgety tavern servant and other "petty people". And although the action has not yet begun, the reader begins to guess that Chichikov came to the provincial town with some secret intentions, which are revealed later.

The meaning of Chichikov's enterprise was as follows. Once every 10-15 years, the treasury conducted a census of the serf population. Between the censuses (“revision tales”), the landlords had a fixed number of serf (revision) souls (only men were indicated in the census). Naturally, the peasants died, but according to the documents, officially, they were considered alive until the next census. For serfs, the landowners paid tax annually, including for the dead. “Listen, mother,” Chichikov explains to Korobochka, “yes, you only judge well: after all, you are ruined. Pay for him (the deceased) as if he were alive.” Chichikov acquires dead peasants in order to pawn them, as if alive, in the Board of Trustees and receive a decent amount of money.

A few days after arriving in the provincial town, Chichikov goes on a journey: he visits the estates of Manilov, Korobochka, Nozdrev, Sobakevich, Plyushkin and acquires “dead souls” from them. Showing the criminal combinations of Chichikov, the author creates unforgettable images of the landowners: the empty dreamer Manilov, the stingy Korobochka, the incorrigible liar Nozdrev, the greedy Sobakevich and the degraded Plyushkin. The action takes an unexpected turn when, on his way to Sobakevich, Chichikov gets to Korobochka.

The sequence of events makes a lot of sense and is dictated by the development of the plot: the writer sought to reveal in his heroes an increasing loss of human qualities, the death of their souls. As Gogol himself said: "My heroes follow one after the other, one more vulgar than the other." So, in Manilov, beginning a series of landowner characters, the human principle has not yet completely died, as evidenced by his "outbursts" for spiritual life, but his aspirations are gradually dying down. The thrifty Korobochka no longer has even a hint of a spiritual life, everything is subordinated to her desire to sell the products of her natural economy at a profit. Nozdrev completely lacks any moral and moral principles. There is very little human left in Sobakevich, and everything animal and cruel is clearly manifested. Plyushkin completes a series of expressive images of landlords - a person on the verge of mental decay. The images of landlords created by Gogol are typical people for their time and environment. They could have become decent individuals, but the fact that they are the owners of serf souls has deprived them of their humanity. For them, serfs are not people, but things.

The image of landlord Russia replaces the image of the provincial city. The author introduces us to the world of officials involved in public administration. In the chapters devoted to the city, the picture of noble Russia expands and the impression of its deadness deepens. Depicting the world of officials, Gogol first shows their funny sides, and then makes the reader think about the laws that reign in this world. All officials passing before the reader's mind turn out to be people without the slightest idea of ​​honor and duty, they are bound by mutual patronage and mutual responsibility. Their life, like the life of the landowners, is meaningless.

The return of Chichikov to the city and the design of the bill of sale fortress is the culmination of the plot. Officials congratulate him on the acquisition of serfs. But Nozdryov and Korobochka reveal the tricks of the "most respectable Pavel Ivanovich", and general merriment gives way to confusion. The denouement is coming: Chichikov hurriedly leaves the city. The picture of Chichikov's exposure is drawn with humor, acquiring a pronounced revealing character. The author, with unconcealed irony, tells about the gossip and rumors that arose in the provincial town in connection with the exposure of the “millionaire”. Overwhelmed by anxiety and panic, officials unwittingly discover their dark illegal deeds.

A special place in the novel is occupied by The Tale of Captain Kopeikin. It is plot-related to the poem and is of great importance for revealing the ideological and artistic meaning of the work. “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” gave Gogol the opportunity to take the reader to Petersburg, create an image of the city, introduce the theme of 1812 into the narrative and tell the story of the fate of the war hero, Captain Kopeikin, while exposing the bureaucratic arbitrariness and arbitrariness of the authorities, the injustice of the existing system. In The Tale of Captain Kopeikin, the author raises the question that luxury turns a person away from morality.

The place of the “Tale…” is determined by the development of the plot. When ridiculous rumors about Chichikov began to spread around the city, officials, alarmed by the appointment of a new governor and the possibility of their exposure, gathered together to clarify the situation and protect themselves from the inevitable "scolds". The story about Captain Kopeikin is not accidentally conducted on behalf of the postmaster. As the head of the postal department, he probably read newspapers and magazines, and could draw a lot of information about the life of the capital. He liked to "show off" in front of the audience, to throw dust in the eyes of his education. The postmaster tells the story of Captain Kopeikin at the moment of the greatest commotion that engulfed the provincial town. "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" is another confirmation that the feudal system is in decline, and new forces, albeit spontaneously, are already preparing to embark on the path of combating social evil and injustice. The story of Kopeikin, as it were, completes the picture of statehood and shows that arbitrariness reigns not only among officials, but also in the upper strata, up to the minister and the tsar.

In the eleventh chapter, which completes the work, the author shows how Chichikov's enterprise ended, talks about his origin, tells how his character was formed, views on life were developed. Penetrating into the spiritual recesses of his hero, Gogol presents to the reader everything that “eludes and hides from the light”, reveals “hidden thoughts that a person does not entrust to anyone”, and we are faced with a scoundrel who is rarely visited by human feelings.

On the first pages of the poem, the author himself describes him somehow vaguely: "...not handsome, but not bad-looking, neither too fat nor too thin." Provincial officials and landlords, whose characters are revealed in the following chapters of the poem, characterize Chichikov as "well-intentioned", "efficient", "scientist", "the most amiable and courteous person." Based on this, one gets the impression that we are faced with the personification of the "ideal of a decent person."

The whole plot of the poem is built as an exposure of Chichikov, since the scam with the sale and purchase of "dead souls" is at the center of the story. In the system of images of the poem, Chichikov stands somewhat apart. He plays the role of a landowner, traveling according to his needs, and by origin he is, but he has very little connection with the lord's local life. Each time he appears before us in a new guise and always achieves his goal. In the world of such people, friendship and love are not valued. They are characterized by extraordinary perseverance, will, energy, perseverance, practical calculation and tireless activity, they hide a vile and terrible power.

Understanding the danger posed by people like Chichikov, Gogol openly ridicules his hero, reveals his insignificance. Gogol's satire becomes a kind of weapon with which the writer exposes Chichikov's "dead soul"; says that such people, despite their tenacious mind and adaptability, are doomed to death. And Gogol's laughter, which helps him expose the world of self-interest, evil and deceit, was suggested to him by the people. It was in the soul of the people that hatred for the oppressors, for the "masters of life" grew and strengthened over the course of many years. And only laughter helped him to survive in a monstrous world, not to lose optimism and love of life.

Gogol's "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" is an insert in Chapter 10 of "Dead Souls". At a meeting where city officials are trying to guess who Chichikov really is, the postmaster hypothesizes that he is Captain Kopeikin and tells the story of this latter.

Captain Kopeikin participated in the campaign of 1812 and lost an arm and a leg in one of the battles with the French. Unable to find food with such a serious injury, he went to Petersburg to ask for the mercy of the sovereign. In the capital, Kopeikin was told that in a magnificent house

On the Palace Embankment, the highest commission for such cases, headed by a certain general-in-chief, sits.

Captain Kopeikin appeared there on his wooden leg and, huddled in a corner, waited for the nobleman to come out among other petitioners, of whom there were many, like "beans on a plate." The general soon came out and began, approaching everyone, asking why anyone had come. Kopeikin said that, while shedding blood for the fatherland, he was mutilated and now cannot provide for himself. The nobleman treated him favorably for the first time and ordered him to "visit one of these days."

Three or four days later, Captain Kopeikin again appeared to the nobleman, believing

What will receive documents for retirement. However, the minister said that the issue could not be resolved so soon, because the sovereign with the troops was still abroad. and orders for the wounded would follow only after his return to Russia. Kopeikin went out in terrible grief: he was already running out of money.

Not knowing what to do next, the captain decided to go to the nobleman for the third time. The general, seeing him, again advised "arm yourself with patience" and wait for the arrival of the sovereign. Kopeikin began to say that, due to extreme need, he had no opportunity to wait. The nobleman moved away from him in annoyance, and the captain shouted: I will not leave this place until they give me a resolution. The general then said that if it was expensive for Kopeikin to live in the capital, then he would send him at public expense. The captain was put into a cart with a courier and taken to no one knows where. Rumors about him stopped for a while, but less than two months later, a gang of robbers appeared in Ryazan affairs, and no one else was its chieftain.

This is where the postmaster's story in Dead Souls ends: the police chief put it on his face that Chichikov, who has both arms and both legs intact, can in no way be Kopeikin. The postmaster slapped his forehead, publicly called himself a veal and admitted his mistake.

The short "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" is almost not connected with the main plot of "Dead Souls" and even gives the impression of an unimportant foreign inclusion. However, it is known that Gogol attached great importance to it. He was very worried when the first version of "Captain Kopeikin" was not censored, and said: "The Tale" is "one of the best places in the poem, and without it - a hole that I can't patch up with anything."

Initially, The Tale of Kopeikin was longer. In continuation of it, Gogol described how the captain and his gang robbed only state-owned carriages in the Ryazan forests, without touching private individuals, and how, after many robbery exploits, he left for Paris, sending a letter from there to the tsar with a request not to persecute his comrades. Literary critics are still arguing why Gogol considered The Tale of Captain Kopeikin to be very significant for Dead Souls as a whole. Perhaps she was directly related to the second and third parts of the poem, which the writer did not have time to complete.

The famous temporary worker Arakcheev most likely served as the prototype of the minister who expelled Kopeikin.

Essays on topics:

1. At the table in a quiet cell, the sage creates his historical writings. Thin writings stretch across the entire width of his tome - witnesses ...
2. Valentin Grigoryevich Rasputin is a remarkable contemporary writer. He is the author of works well-known to readers: “Money for Mary” (1967), “The Last...
3. Two generals found themselves on a desert island. “The generals served all their lives in some kind of registry; there they were born, brought up and grew old, therefore, nothing ...
4. The story "Killed near Moscow" was written by Konstantin Vorobyov in 1961. The writer took Tvardovsky's poems as an epigraph to the work. Cadets go to...

1. The place that "The Tale ..." takes in the poem.
2. Social problems.
3. Motives of folk legends.

"The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" at a superficial glance may seem like an alien element in N.V. Gogol's poem "Dead Souls". In fact, what does it have to do with the fate of the protagonist? Why does the author assign such a significant place to "The Tale ..."? The postmaster for no reason imagined that Chichikov and Kopeikin were one and the same person: but the rest of the provincial officials resolutely rejected such an absurd assumption. And the difference between these two characters lies not only in the fact that Kopeikin is disabled, but Chichikov has both arms and legs in place. Kopeikin becomes a robber solely out of hopelessness, since he has no other way to get everything he needs to maintain his life; Chichikov consciously strives for wealth, not disdaining any dubious machinations that can bring him closer to the goal.

But despite the huge difference in the fate of these two people, the story of Captain Kopeikin largely explains, oddly enough, the motives for Chichikov's behavior. The position of the serfs is, of course, difficult. But the position of a free man, if he has neither connections nor money, can also turn out to be truly terrible. In The Tale of Captain Kopeikin, Gogol shows the contempt of the state in the person of its representatives for ordinary people who gave everything to this state. The general-in-chief advises a man with one arm and one leg: "... Try to help yourself for the time being, look for the means yourself." Kopeikin perceives these mocking words as a guide to action - almost like an order from the high command: "When the general says that I should look for the means to help myself - well ... I ... will find the means!"

Gogol shows the huge property stratification of society: an officer who became disabled in the war waged by his country has only fifty rubles in his pocket, while even the doorman of the Generalissimo "looks like a Generalissimo", not to mention the luxury in which he is buried his master. Yes, such a striking contrast, of course, should have shocked Kopeikin. The hero imagines how “he will take some herring, and a pickled cucumber, and bread for two pennies”, in the windows of restaurants he sees “cutlets with truffles”, and in stores - salmon, cherries, watermelon, only all this is unaffordable for a miserable invalid and soon there will be nothing left for bread.

Hence the harshness with which Kopeikin demands a final decision on his issue from the nobleman. Kopeikin has nothing to lose - he is even glad that the general-in-chief ordered him to be expelled from St. Petersburg at public expense: “... at least you don’t have to pay runs, thanks for that too.”

So, we see that human life and blood mean nothing in the eyes of most influential officials, both military and civilian. Money is what can to a certain extent give a person confidence in the future. It is no coincidence that the main instruction received by Chichikov from his father was the advice to “save a penny”, which “will not give out, no matter what trouble you are in”, which “you will do everything and break everything”. How many unfortunates in Mother Russia dutifully endure insults, and all because there is no money that would provide these people with relative independence. Captain Kopeikin becomes a robber when, in fact, he already has no other choice - except perhaps starvation. Of course, one can say that Kopeikin's choice makes him an outlaw. But why should he respect a law that did not protect his human rights? Thus, in The Tale of Captain Kopeikin, Gogol shows the origins of that legal nihilism, the finished product of which is Chichikov. Outwardly, this well-intentioned official tries to emphasize his respect for ranks, for legal norms, because in such behavior he sees a guarantee of his well-being. But the old saying “The law that blew: where you turned, it went there” undoubtedly reflects the essence of Chichikov’s legal concepts in the best possible way, and not only he himself is to blame for this, but also the society in which the hero grew up and formed. In fact, was Captain Kopeikin the only one who trampled in vain in the reception rooms of high-ranking officials? The indifference of the state in the person of the General-in-Chief turns an honest officer into a robber. Chichikov, on the other hand, hopes that, having accumulated a decent fortune, albeit by fraudulent means, one can eventually become a worthy and respected member of society ...

It is known that initially Gogol did not break off the story about Kopeikin on the fact that the captain became the chieftain of a band of robbers. Kopeikin peacefully released everyone who went about their business, confiscated only state, that is, state property - money, provisions. Kopeikin's detachment consisted of fugitive soldiers: there is no doubt that they also had to suffer in their lifetime both from commanders and from landowners. Thus, Kopeikin appeared in the original version of the poem as a folk hero, whose image echoes the images of Stenka Razin and Emelyan Pugachev. After some time, Kopeikin went abroad - just like Dubrovsky in Pushkin's story of the same name - and from there he sent a letter to the emperor with a request not to persecute the people from his gang who remained in Russia. However, this continuation of The Tale of Captain Kopeikin had to be cut out by Gogol at the request of the censors. Nevertheless, around the figure of Kopeikin, the halo of the “noble robber” was preserved - a man offended by fate and people in power, but not broken and not reconciled.

The story "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" by Gogol is an insert episode in the poem Dead Souls. It is worth noting that this story is not connected with the main storyline of the poem, and is an independent work, thanks to which the author managed to reveal the soullessness of the bureaucratic apparatus.

For better preparation for the literature lesson, we recommend reading the online summary of The Tale of Captain Kopeikin. Also, the retelling will be useful for the reader's diary.

main characters

Captain Kopeikin- a brave soldier, a participant in the battles with the Napoleonic army, an invalid, persistent and savvy man.

Other characters

Postmaster- a storyteller who tells the officials the story of Captain Kopeikin.

General-in-chief- the head of the temporary commission, a dry, businesslike person.

City officials gather at the governor's house to decide at a meeting who Chichikov really is and why he needs dead souls. The postmaster puts forward an interesting hypothesis, according to which Chichikov is none other than Captain Kopeikin, and takes up a fascinating story about this man.

Captain Kopeikin happened to take part in the campaign of 1812, and in one of the battles he "torn off his arm and leg." He is well aware that “it would be necessary to work, only his hand, you see, is left”, and it is also impossible to remain dependent on the old father - he himself barely makes ends meet.

The crippled soldier decides to go to Petersburg, "to bother with the authorities, if there will be any help." The city on the Neva impresses Kopeikin to the depths of his soul with its beauty, but renting a corner in the capital is very expensive, and he understands that "there is nothing to live on."

The soldier learns that "there is no higher authority now in the capital", and he needs to turn to the temporary commission for help. In a beautiful mansion, where the authorities receive petitioners, a lot of people gather - like beans on a plate. After waiting four hours, Kopeikin finally gets the opportunity to tell the chief general about his misfortune. He sees that “a man on a piece of wood and an empty right sleeve is fastened to his uniform” and offers to appear after a few days.

There is no limit to Kopeikin's joy - "well, he thinks the job is done." In high spirits, he goes to have dinner and "drink a glass of vodka", and in the evening he goes to the theater - "in a word, he drank at full speed."

A few days later, the soldier again comes to the head of the commission. He recalls his petition, but he cannot resolve his issue "without the permission of the higher authorities." It is necessary to wait for the arrival of Mr. Minister from abroad, because only then the commission will receive clear instructions regarding the wounded in the war. The chief gives some money to the soldier so that he can hold out in the capital, but he did not count on such a meager amount.

Kopeikin leaves the department in a depressed mood, feeling "like a poodle that the cook has poured over with water." He is running out of money, there is nothing to live on, and there are an incredible number of temptations in the big city. Every time, passing by a trendy restaurant or a delicatessen shop, he experiences the strongest torment - "drooling, but he wait."

Out of bitter hopelessness, Kopeikin comes to the commission for the third time. He insistently demands a solution to his question, to which the general advises to wait for the arrival of the minister. An enraged Kopeikin raises a real rebellion in the department, and the chief is forced to “resort, so to speak, to strict measures” - the soldier is sent to his place of residence.

Accompanied by a courier, Kopeikin is taken away in an unknown direction. On the way, the unfortunate cripple thinks about how to earn a piece of bread for himself, since the sovereign and the fatherland no longer need him.

The news about Captain Kopeikin could have sunk into oblivion, if two months later rumors had not spread in the district about the appearance of a band of robbers, whose chieftain was the main character ...

Conclusion

At the center of Gogol's work is the relationship between the "little man" and the soulless bureaucratic machine that has crippled many destinies. Wanting to live honestly and receive a well-deserved pension, the hero is forced to embark on a criminal path so as not to die of hunger.

After reading the brief retelling of The Tale of Captain Kopeikin, we recommend that you read Gogol's work in full.

Story test

Check the memorization of the summary with the test:

Retelling rating

Average rating: 4.6. Total ratings received: 820.

“The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” is an insert episode in the poem “Dead Souls” by N.V. Gogol, through which the author introduces the theme of the relationship between the “little man” and the supreme power into the work. Captain Kopeikin "after the campaign of the twelfth year ... was sent along with the wounded ...". Having remained disabled after the war (“he had his arm and leg torn off”), the captain was left without a livelihood. Having devoted many years of his life to serving the Motherland, Kopeikin was no longer needed even by his own family: “I visited my father’s house, my father says:“ I have nothing to feed you with, I ... I barely get bread myself. The soldier is ready to work, but cannot: "only his hand is ... left." He remains the last hope for the sovereign, for his "royal grace." Arriving in St. Petersburg, he goes to an appointment with a nobleman, who encourages Kopeikin and asks him to come one of these days. This nobleman is the very personification of power, prosperity. With undisguised irony, N.V. Gogol describes the house in which the general lives: “The hut ... peasant: glass in the windows ... one and a half full mirrors, so that the vases and everything that is in the rooms seem to be outside. .. precious marbles on the walls, metal haberdashery, some kind of handle at the door, so you need to ... run ahead to a petty shop, and buy soap for a penny, but rub your hands with it for about two hours, and then you decide to grab it - in a word: varnishes on everything are like that - in some way, insanity.

And how "respected" the noble official! “Everything that was in the front, of course, at the same minute to the tune, is waiting, trembling, waiting for a decision, in some way, fate.” But the thing is that the general is indifferent to the fate of people who turn to him for help. He does not understand Kopeikin, who is already starving and subsist on herring or salted cucumber and bread. Starving, Kopeikin decides to “crawl through by storm at all costs” and, having waited for the nobleman, he dares to “rudeness”: “But, Your Excellency, I can’t wait .... As you wish, Your Excellency, ... I won’t leave the place until you give a resolution”, as a result of which the angry general sends him home “at public expense”.

The postmaster says that it is not known where Kopeikin went, but for some time now “a gang of robbers appeared in the Ryazan forests, and the ataman of this gang was ... no one else ... "... Telling him I can’t finish it, but the reader guesses that Captain Kopeikin became the leader of this gang. Surely it consists of poor peasants who rob the rich on the roads.

Is it possible to condemn Kopeikin for this? I think no. After all, he asked for help from government officials, but they refused him, caring only for their own interests, with pleasure, and sometimes circumventing the law, helping only their own kind (Chichikov, for example).

The Russian people are patient and can endure the most difficult trials, but if you take them to the extreme, they are capable of much! Proof of this is the case described by the author in the ninth chapter of the poem, when the peasants killed the assessor Drobyazhkin.

N.V. Gogol decided to show all the dark sides of Russian life in the first volume of Dead Souls. One of these "dark sides" is the arbitrariness and callousness of government officials. The worst thing is that we still encounter similar things to this day, and the bureaucracy of modern Russian officials has become a byword.