The story of Kopeikin Gogol dead souls. "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin": Folklore Sources and Meaning

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 the magnificent house on the Palace Embankment the highest commission for such matters was sitting, headed by a certain general-in-chief.

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

Illustrations for "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin"

Three or four days later, the captain again appeared to the nobleman, believing that he would receive documents for retirement. However, the minister said that the issue could not be resolved so soon, because the sovereign was still abroad with the troops, 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 gave it a very great importance. 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 prototype of the minister who expelled Kopeikin, most likely, served as a well-known temporary worker

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 - new type a hero, an entrepreneur, who embodied the features of the emerging bourgeoisie.

The chosen plot was given to Gogol " complete freedom travel all over Russia with the hero and bring out a lot 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 is only in general terms draws his characters. 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 dealing with affairs government controlled. 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.

“The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” is one of the parts of the work of N. V. Gogol “Dead Souls”, namely, the tenth chapter, and is a story of one of the heroes of this work about a certain soldier named Kopeikin. The postmaster came up with this story to explain to the frightened officials of the provincial city of N who Chichikov was, where he came from and for what purpose he bought dead souls. This is a story about a soldier who lost an arm and a leg in the war for the fatherland, but turned out to be unnecessary to his country, which led him to become the leader of a gang of robbers.

The main idea of ​​this story is that indifference and ruthlessness sometimes knows no bounds. The postmaster, who tells the story of a poor soldier who gave everything to his homeland, but in return could not receive even a minimum allowance, wants to attract attention and show off his education and richness of style. Officials, listening to this tragic story, do not feel the slightest sympathy for the unfortunate captain.

Read more summary of Chapter 10 of Gogol's Dead Souls - The Tale of Captain Kopeikin

The story begins from the moment when officials, frightened and upset, come to the governor's house to decide who Chichikov really is and why he was buying up dead souls. All officials are very afraid of the audit, because each of them has unclean deeds, and they would not like the inspectors to come to the city. After all, then they risk losing their positions, and, perhaps, their freedom.

Taking advantage of the general confusion, the postmaster, who considered himself a very extraordinary person, offers the officials his version of who Chichikov could be. All officials listen with interest, and the postmaster, enjoying everyone's attention, tells.

The postmaster, abundantly filling his speech with various ornate turns of speech and sayings, says that during the war between Russia and Napoleon, a certain captain Kopeikin was seriously wounded, as a result of which he lost his arm and leg.

Having gone to his father's house, the soldier was met with a gloomy reception by his father, who refused to feed him, as "he barely got his own bread." No help was provided to the invalids of the war, so Kopeikin himself decided to get to St. Petersburg and ask for mercy from the tsar there.

Arriving in St. Petersburg, Kopeikin settled in the cheapest tavern and the next day went to the general-in-chief.

The postmaster talks about what a rich reception room this nobleman has, what a respectable porter stands at the door, what important petitioners visit him, how majestic and proud he himself is. The officials of the city of N listen to the story with respect and curiosity.

Having waited for the general to leave, the captain began to ask for maintenance, since he had lost his health in the war for the fatherland. The general-in-chief reassured him, saying that the royal mercy would not leave the heroes of the war, but since there was no order yet, we had to wait.

Joyful and happy, the soldier decided that soon his fate would be decided in his favor, and that evening he drank. He went to a restaurant, to the theater, and even tried to woo a woman he met with a certain behavior, but he came to his senses in time and decided to wait for the promised pension first.

A few days passed and still no money. The postmaster tells in vivid colors about all the temptations of St. Petersburg, about exquisite dishes that are inaccessible to Kopeikin, but tease his eyes through the shop window.

The captain comes to the nobleman again and again, and in the meantime the money is melting away. And from the nobleman he hears only the word "tomorrow." Kopeikin is almost starving, so, in despair, he decides to go to the General-in-Chief again. The nobleman meets him very coldly and says that as long as the sovereign deigns to be abroad, the matter cannot be decided.

Disappointed and offended, Kopeikin shouts that until there is an order for a pension, he will not leave the place. To which the general offers him to go to his home and wait for a decision there.

The unfortunate captain, in despair, forgets himself and demands a pension. Offended by this insolence, the general-in-chief proposes to send the captain "at public expense." And after that, no one else heard about the fate of the unfortunate soldier.

Soon after these events, a gang of robbers appeared in the Bryansk forests, and Captain Kopeikin, according to rumors, was their leader.

According to the postmaster, Chichikov was none other than Captain Kopeikin.

Picture or drawing The Tale of Captain Kopeikin

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In Gogol's poem "Dead Souls" there is an inserted short story - "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin." Unexpectedly and, as it were, accidentally appeared in the poem, “The Tale of Captain Kopeikin” is in fact closely connected with the development of the plot, and most importantly, with the author’s intention and the ideological and artistic meaning of the whole work.

"The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" is not only an integral part of the plot of the poem, it "penetrates" its inner, deep layer. It plays an important ideological and artistic role in the work.

Sometimes this story is given a socio-political sound, believing that Gogol denounces in it the entire state power of Russia, even the government elite and the tsar himself. It is hardly possible to accept such a statement unconditionally, because such an ideological position contradicts the writer's worldview. And besides, such an interpretation impoverishes the meaning of this inserted novella. "The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" allows not only to see dignified Petersburg, but to read something more in it.

After all main reason that forced Kopeikin to join the robbers lies in the fact that "then no orders had yet been made regarding the wounded ... the invalid capital was wound up much later." Therefore, the former war hero had to "get his own money." And the method of obtaining funds is by no means random. Kopeikin and his gang only rob the treasury, they take money from the "state pocket", i.e. take what is rightfully theirs. The writer clarifies: “If a person is passing by for some reason of his own, well, they will only ask: “Why?”, and go on your way. And as soon as some kind of state fodder, provisions or money - in a word, everything that bears, so to speak, the name of the treasury - there is no descent.

But disabled capital was created, and very solid. The wounded were provided for, and provided for as "in no other enlightened states." And the sovereign himself did this, who saw the “omissions” with Kopeikin and “issued the strictest order to form a committee solely in order to improve everyone, that is, the wounded.”

So, the meaning of this story: Captain Kopeikin became a robber, not so much because of the inattention or callousness of the highest government officials, but because everything is so arranged in Russia, everything is strong in hindsight ("after!"), Starting with postmaster and ending with the sovereign himself. They can make wise decisions in Russia, but only when the thunder breaks out.

It is known that Gogol liked to "close his speech with a cleverly tidied up proverb", he liked to express his cherished thoughts in proverbs. So in the content of the "Tale" in these proverbs - "a Russian person is strong in hindsight", "thunder does not strike - a peasant will not cross himself" - the author's cherished thought is ironically expressed (it was not by chance that he was accused of anti-patriotism!). His reflections on the essence of the Russian character, on the ability of a Russian person to make the right decisions, correct mistakes, but, unfortunately, “after”, when the thunder strikes.

In this case, the inserted short story about Captain Kopeikin contains the key to understanding the character of a Russian person, the essence of his nature.

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 " little man”and a 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 getting acquainted with brief retelling"The Tale of Captain Kopeikin" we recommend reading Gogol's work in full.

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