Lesson summary "terrible image of the landowner Sobakevich" (using RKMC technology). Sobakevich characterization of the hero
A landowner with a massive figure, similar to a bear, appears fourth in the gallery of characters. The image and characterization of Sobakevich in the poem “Dead Souls” (with quotes) allows us to more clearly imagine a gentleman from the Russian hinterland, strong in figure, but spiritually devastated.
Landowner of city N
Sobakevich is an older man. He is well over 40. Taking care of his estate, he is satisfied with the conditions of the “outback”, abandoned inland from even the unknown city of N. He belongs in the outback. But it’s not hard to find bears like him in human form in Moscow. The master is in good health. He "never got sick." Moreover, Sobakevich is afraid of this situation. It seems to him that some terrible, severe illness awaits him ahead. He says about himself:
“...even if my throat hurts, if I have a sore throat or a boil...”
But good health protects a man from illness.
Hero's appearance
From the first to the last feature of his appearance, Sobakevich resembles a bear: his figure, the set of his eyes, the chopped lines of his face, his gait. Character's appearance features:
“...round, wide, like Moldavian pumpkins” face;
“... wide, like the Vyatka squat horses...” back;
“...his legs, like cast-iron pedestals that are placed on sidewalks...”;
“...didn’t use any small tools.”
The master did not need files or gimlets. A not very sharp ax was enough:
“she grabbed it with an ax once and her nose came out, she grabbed it another time and her lips came out, she picked out her eyes with a large drill and, without scraping them, let her into the light...”.
The classic tries to stand or sit the character straight, but he doesn’t succeed:
“...I didn’t move my neck at all...”
The bear, the landowner, was sitting, looking from under his brows not at his interlocutor, but at where his gaze fell.
Mikhailo Semenovich does not see those walking nearby. More often they avoid him
“...knowing the habit...of stepping on feet...”
Sobakevich is a small, “medium-sized” bear. His father was much larger. There is a breed in a person, heredity, Russian heroism. But if you look into history, how strong in spirit the Russian giants were. They loved Rus' and its people with all their souls. What's left of them? Only external resemblance. The landowner has bearish taste. How the gentleman is dressed:
“tailcoat... bear color”;
“the sleeves (of a camisole, shirt or jacket) are long”;
“knickers (pants or trousers) are long.”
The author interestingly describes Sobakevich’s complexion: “... red-hot, like what happens on a copper coin.” A tall, healthy man with a purple face, how could one not recoil, frightened by such a thing! Besides this, there are no movements or emotions in the face. It is stone and frozen in one position.
The character of the landowner
Sobakevich is very different in character. He then curls up into a ball, like a fist, ready to strike, then becomes eloquent and quick. It all depends on the situation around him.
He shows his “dog-like disposition” when he speaks about the residents of the city. All of him are deceivers:
“...a swindler sits on a swindler and drives the swindler around.”
Rude in comparing people. According to the landowner,
“...there is a decent person: the prosecutor; and that one... is a pig.”
Mikhail Semenovich is straightforward, he does not try to conduct unnecessary discussions with Chichikov about a strange request - the purchase of dead souls. Without preamble or surprise, he immediately proceeds to bidding. The landowner says little, strictly and artlessly:
“You needed souls, and I’m selling them to you...”
By bargaining, the master shows his thoroughness; he slowly gives up rubles and kopecks, appreciating the smallest penny. It is impossible not to notice that there is cunning and resourcefulness in the character, for this he receives from Chichikov the epithet “beast”. A cheat and a scoundrel will not pass by the benefits.
Landowner in communication with his wife
The figure of Feodulia Ivanovna’s wife is opposite in appearance. This is a thin tall woman. The author compares it to a palm tree. It is impossible to imagine the image without a smile: a palm tree in a cap with ribbons. The hostess is like a “smooth goose”, like
"...to the actresses representing the queens."
Gogol claims that Sobakevich’s wife is a good housewife. She surrounded her husband with care, the main task was to feed him. If you count how much time is allocated during the day for food, then there is almost no time left for other things. The dinner Chichikov attended was a typical meal for the family. It is impossible to list everything that the master ate.
“Everything fell into a lump in my stomach...”
The beginning of the meal is “half a side of lamb”, it would seem that cheesecakes and drinks will follow, but no. Eaten
“... a turkey the size of a calf, stuffed with all sorts of goodness...”
Sobakevich recognizes only Russian cuisine. He doesn’t accept French, and it’s hard to imagine how a “bear” is trying to stuff a frog’s leg or an oyster into his mouth. Sobakevich is consistent when it comes to food, just like at an auction, he finishes his food to the end. At lunch with city officials:
“having spotted from a distance a sturgeon lying to the side on a large dish... in a little over a quarter of an hour he reached it all, so that... only one tail remained from the product of nature...”.
This attitude towards food is the essence of the character’s character. A well-fed master does not become kinder, a smile or other feelings do not appear on his face.
Attitude towards peasants
The landowner strives to create conditions of strength for the peasants. He participates in the life of the farm, understands that the better the men work, the stronger his estate. Sobakevich knows everyone living and dead. There is pride in the owner's words:
“What a people! Just gold..."
The landowner's list is detailed and accurate. There is all the information about the sold soul:
“...craft, title, years and family fortune...”.
Sobakevich remembers how the man treated wine, the behavior of a peasant.
Sobakevich is a landowner who differs from other residents of the district of the city N that Chichikov met. But this is only an external difference. Vice, stinginess and indifference are firmly embedded in the character. The soul becomes callous and dies; it is unknown whether anyone will buy his soul in the future.
Among the string of characters depicted by Gogol’s masterful hand, the image of Sobakevich in the poem “Dead Souls” is particularly textured.
It is materially tangible in all its rough, bulky, but strong and reliable materiality.
Sobakevich is a bright detail in the overall grandiose canvas of landowner Russia in the first half of the 19th century, created by the great Russian writer.
Portrait of Sobakevich
The first impression of Sobakevich is that he is a medium-sized bear. His face seems to have been cut out with an ax by several awkward blows.
He is clumsy and will definitely step on his interlocutor’s foot. His name is Mikhail Semenovich, which also emphasizes his bearish nature.
He has a thorough character and is straightforward and rude in his conclusions. His wife is a tall lady with a face like a cucumber.
Gogol did not specifically indicate Sobakevich’s age. He appears to be between 40 and 50 years old. At the time when Gogol was working on the poem, he was just over 30. At that age, even forty-year-olds seem almost old.
Consequently, Gogol assumed Sobakevich’s age to be no more than forty years. The entire fifth chapter of the poem is devoted to this character.
Life goals
Sobakevich’s goal is to simply live. His soul is somewhere far away, like Koshcheevo’s egg. And it is clear that Sobakevich loves to reign supreme. He wants everything to be his way, even if it is wrong.
Progress and Sobakevich are two incompatible things. Gogol notes in a lyrical digression that it would be better for people like Sobakevich to be landowners. Because if they come to power, then woe will befall the country and especially the officials who will fall under their power, because officials can be “cracked” without harm to themselves, but peasants cannot, because in this case you lose your earnings.
Favorite activities
Landowner Sobakevich loves to eat. He does this as thoroughly as he does everything he does: from serving a whole pig to the table. After eating he likes to sleep.
Obviously, judging by the description of his estate, where, as Gogol noted, the architect’s plan fought with the will of the customer, Sobakevich loves to build.
Of course, like everyone else then (and not only then), he loves money very much. Saving money is his favorite pastime, just like his.
But according to Chichikov, money gives social status, even some kind of greatness, but from Sobakevich’s point of view, money again gives stability, strength, which he so strives for.
Sobakevich's estate and his attitude to the farm
The interior of Mikhail Semenovich’s estate matches the owner to such an extent that every piece of furniture seems to say: “I, too, Sobakevich.”
His entire economy is well organized, the main emphasis is not on petty decoration, but on direct benefit, durability, and thoroughness.
He didn’t need windows - he boarded them up, he needed a window - he cut it out where it was needed, of a completely different size. Appearance is not important to Sobakevich - only benefits.
He cares about his peasants. After all, in order for peasants to generate income, they must live in strong buildings and eat well. Their houses are made without frills, but even the barns are built from full-weight logs.
The behavior and speech of the landowner
A bear, a perfect bear, Chichikov became convinced as he continued to communicate with Sobakevich. Still, he stepped on his foot.
It is difficult for him to move his neck, so he looks somewhat down and to the side, however, he quickly understands the essence of what is happening.
His speech is brief, there is not a trace of Manilov’s beauty in it, he speaks only to the essence of the issue. Sobakevich treats everything modern with contempt: “here, there used to be people!”
He even talks about himself with disdain, believing that his father was healthier and stronger than himself. Sobakevich pronounces a whole ode about his dead peasants.
Sobakevich’s attitude to Chichikov’s proposal
Sobakevich perceived the proposal to sell dead souls as if it were an ordinary thing. Interrupting the cautious approaches of Chichikov, who began about the “good of the state,” he immediately moved on to discussing the price. In the poem this produces a comic effect.
Attitude towards those around Sobakevich
This phrase of his speaks volumes about Sobakevich’s attitude towards his acquaintances: “there is only one prosecutor in the province who is a good person, and even that one is a pig.” Even his governor is a fraud, and everyone around him is a Christ-seller.
However, he is on good terms with his men, does not offend them in vain and will always support them in strengthening their farm.
Sobakevich is characterized by the belief that everything was better before: people were healthier and even animals were larger. There is a noticeable trace of the myth of the Golden Age, characteristic of people of all times and peoples.
What brings him closer to the people is his dislike for everything foreign, his contempt for liberal ideas and progress.
Conclusion
While Gogol clearly condemns Plyushkin, he does not have a clearly negative attitude towards Sobakevich. Somewhere, behind tons of humor and irony, the author's sympathy is visible. Perhaps, in the image of Sobakevich there is pure humor, without that piercing tragedy that the reader feels in such characters as Plyushkin or Manilov.
Mikhailo Semyonovich Sobakevich is one of the landowners of Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”, to whom the main character went. After visiting Nozdryov, Chichikov goes to Sobakevich. Everything in his house looks awkward, there is no symmetry.
In appearance, Sobakevich is a man resembling a bear and a dog. The way the landowner's home is furnished gives the impression that Sobakevich is a good owner; his peasants do not need food or clothing at all.
Sobakevich is driven by monetary calculations, but at the same time he is not at all stupid. His prudence makes him efficient, but at the same time he remains ponderous, uncouth and rude. The need for money is that it must pay for and provide for all his carnal needs. Sobakevich’s body exists at the expense of his soul, which, due to his habits, is doomed to death.
Sobakevich can be called a “slave of the stomach.” Food for him is almost the most important thing in life. The food is simple, but good and plentiful. Sobakevich resembles a bear: large, heavy-set, club-footed; nature didn’t think long about his appearance: “it took an ax once and the nose came out, it took enough another time and the lips came out...”. In Sobakevich’s large body, the soul freezes, spiritually motionless. Sobakevich vehemently opposes education and science.
Sobakevich scolds everyone: the only decent person for him is the prosecutor, “and even that one, to tell the truth, is a pig.” The landowner is not even surprised by Chichikov’s offer to sell him the dead souls of the peasants, since dead people for him are just goods. He sets a high price by praising non-existent peasants, describing them as they were in life.
Sobakevich image 9th grade
Gogol, in his famous poem, presented a whole gallery of human characters, embodying them in grotesque images of heroes. In each of them, he showed the most striking individual features inherent in Russian society.
One of them is Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich.
He appears fourth in a row of landowners whom Chichikov turned to regarding the purchase of dead souls. When describing his appearance, the author resorts to comparison with a bear. He resembles him both in his face and clumsy habits, and in his remarkable strength. And his name is appropriately bearish - Mikhail.
This image refers the reader to Russian fairy tales about a big, strong, but at the same time very kind Toptygin. But in Gogol he becomes Sobakevich. All the names of the characters in the poem are telling. They embody the main feature of the character's character. And therefore, Mikhail Semenovich, from being strong and kind, becomes constantly swearing and dissatisfied.
He calls the chief of police a swindler, the governor a robber. Everyone with him is bad, liars and dishonest. But at the same time, when he needed to, he calmly lied to the chairman of the chamber that he had sold the coachman Mikheev, although he knew about his death.
Describing his estate, the author points out that all surrounding objects are in harmony with the character of the owner. The environment is strong and awkward. Sobakevich knows how to count his money well, so he watches over his serfs, but not because of some kind of philanthropy, but because they are also his property, generating income. He was the only one of all who immediately understood Chichikov’s intentions, was not at all surprised by them, but only saw his own benefit in this matter and sold the dead souls at the highest price.
Having no interests other than the desire to eat heartily, scolding everything new and incomprehensible, starting with French food and ending with German doctors, Sobakevich appears on the pages of the poem as another example of the Russian noble class.
In this image, Gogol collected and showed all the inertia and limitations of Russian society. It is no coincidence that he notices that in St. Petersburg there are people like his hero.
Characteristics of the landowner Sobakevich
The landowner Sobakevich is one of the main characters on whom Gogol focused his attention.
Semenovich, as his relatives called him, was an excellent host. True, looking at his yard, one could doubt it, since not everything was perfect, like other wealthy landowners, but all his buildings, houses were tall and strong, and most importantly, strong. His estate is surrounded by a thick, strong wooden fence. At that time, such a fence was an indicator that people lived richly.
The author describes the hero as a big and clumsy man. He is not fat per se, just a well-fed man. The interior of his house is more reminiscent of a brown bear's den. Large and strong chairs, massive beds. The beauty of the furniture and the interior of the rooms are not important to him; functionality is important to him, first of all. Huge paintings hang throughout the house, in heavy wooden frames. They depict military commanders and generals. Everything in the house looks like Sobakevich’s texture, from the chair to the bed. They are as massive as he is. The hero himself is rude, stubborn and straightforward. He is not afraid of anyone. He can say to a person’s face everything that he thinks about him.
But at the same time he is very generous. When a guest comes to the house, the owner sets a magic table. He doesn’t skimp on food and loves to eat delicious food. Sobakevech is an excellent conversationalist.
His hobby is farming. He has hardworking peasants with whom he finds a common language. He knows everyone by name, knows who died, who worked before. The peasants treat him with great respect. They like to work for such a person. People are pleased that they are remembered and respected. Every day Sobakevich comes to the workers in the morning and asks how everyone is doing. If there are any problems, he is always happy to help. He values people very much.
Sobakevich is a cunning landowner, he bargains with Chichikov, bargaining for 100 rubles for one dead soul.
This hero has no soul. He understands perfectly well that Chichikov is a deceiver, so he himself is happy to enrich himself from this deal. Therefore, Sobakevich can also be called a deceiver.
Option 4
In N. V. Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls,” readers are presented with a whole gallery of bright, memorable grotesque images of Russian landowners, mercilessly ridiculed by the power of the writer’s great satirical talent. One of these characters visited by Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov was the landowner Mikhailo Semyonovich Sobakevich.
Describing Sobakevich’s appearance, the author compares him to a bear. Large, heavy, strong, clumsy, he resembles this beast in face, habits, and remarkable strength. The manner of moving was also bearish - Sobakevich managed to constantly step on everyone’s feet. Even his name is appropriate - Mikhailo. Characterizing the appearance of this hero, Gogol notes that he is one of those about whom they say that he is “not well cut, but tightly sewn.” The same can be said about the things surrounding Sobakevich. His home resembles a den, furnished with awkward, but strong, good-quality furniture.
Sobakevich’s farm leaves the same impression of clumsiness and good strength. His house, outbuildings, peasant huts - everything indicates that Sobakevich is a good owner. He knows how to find a common language with peasants, knows about their problems and needs. But all this does not come from the kindness of his soul. Mikhailo Semyonovich is smart and understands perfectly well that the better conditions he creates for his serfs, the better they will work and the more income he can get from this. Well, he needs money to satisfy his carnal needs, the main one of which is the love of hearty food. Sobakevich not only loves and knows how to eat himself, he, like a hospitable host, generously treats his guests, as Pavel Ivanovich had the opportunity to verify.
The fact that Sobakevich is far from stupid is evidenced by the fact that he, the only one of all the landowners, immediately understood Chichikov’s intentions and charged an exorbitant price for dead souls, as for living people. Compiling a list of dead serfs, Sobakevich described in detail their character, skills, and habits, which once again confirms that Mikhailo Semyonovich is a zealous owner who knows well the business in which he is engaged.
As you know, all the names of the characters in Gogol’s poem are “speaking”. What does the surname Sobakevich tell us? The fact that this character is rude, is always dissatisfied with everything and is inclined to scold city officials, calling them “robbers”, “swindlers” and “Christ-sellers”. Among them, he considered one prosecutor to be a decent person, and even that one, in his opinion, was a pig. However, here, perhaps, it is difficult to disagree with Mikhail Semyonovich.
Essay 5
“Dead Souls” is a poem written by N.V. Gogol in the first half of the 19th century. In the work, the writer reflected the images of the people of his time, endowing the landowners with satiristic features that ridiculed their vices.
Sobakevich Mikhailo Semenych is a landowner, the “fourth” seller of dead souls, to whom Chichikov came. Sobakevich’s exact age is not known; it is only reported that he lives in his “fifties.” Outwardly, the hero looks like a bear, he is distinguished by a strong physique and good health. Sobakevich is straightforward, he does not have delicacy and courtesy. The landowner speaks poorly of all his neighbors; it is rare that Sobakevich can say something good about anyone.
The estate and houses in the village are made of durable wood, they are practical and comfortable, but at the same time devoid of any decoration. Sobakevich believes that the main task of residential buildings is to protect people from wind and rain; aesthetic beauty for the landowner is an excess, devoid of meaning. Sobakevich works on an equal basis with his peasants; unlike other landowners, he does not see anything wrong with physical labor. For Sobakevich this is a natural activity.
Sobakevich is married, relations within the family are friendly. With his wife, the landowner is soft and gentle, as much as his character allows him. Sobakevich also has good relations with the peasants; he knows every person living in the village. He speaks of them as good workers.
Among the hero’s affections, his love for food should be highlighted. Sobakevich appreciates simple food, despises French cuisine, and speaks with disgust about eating frogs and offal.
Sobakevich is a cunning and calculating person. Chichikov spoke to him about the sale of dead souls “very distantly.” However, the landowner immediately realized the benefits of the deal and set a fairly high price. Noticing Chichikov's amazement, Mikhailo Semenych began to talk about the dead peasants as wonderful workers.
It cannot be said that Sobakevich is a strictly negative character. His image contains both positive and negative features. However, in my opinion, Sobakevich, unlike Plyushkin, is not a “dead” soul. He cares not only about himself and his well-being, but also about his peasants.
The image and characteristics of Sobakevich
This work contains both fictional and real characters. For example, one of the main characters of the work “Lefty” is Emperor Alexander the First, he is smart, educated
For me it is very simple to answer the question: What is more expensive in the world? If a person finds it difficult to answer, then he is being disingenuous. Ask yourself this question, and the first thing that comes to mind is your answer.
Not much is known about the image of the secular rake and jester Ippolit Kuragin. And yet, there is something to be said about the minor character in the world novel “War and Peace”.
Sections: Literature
Goals:
- analyze the image of the landowner Sobakevich to reveal the author’s ideological position based on individual work with the text;
- develop skills in analyzing a prose work, drawing general conclusions;
- develop attention, associative thinking and creative imagination of students, speech development, the ability to work in a group, listen to their classmates, express their opinions and generalize the knowledge gained in the lesson;
- working with key concepts;
- to cultivate the reading culture of schoolchildren
Technology: Developing critical thinking through reading and writing .
Equipment: portrait of N.V. Gogol, portraits of landowners, exhibition of books.
DURING THE CLASSES
1. The lesson begins with repetition of previous material in order to prepare students to solve the problem put forward by the teacher.
Teacher: What is the plot of Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls” and what opportunities did it give the writer to reveal the ideological meaning of the work?
Student: The essence of the plot is that the businessman-acquirer Chichikov travels around Russia, visits the estates of landowners and buys up dead souls. The plot was proposed to Gogol by A.S. Pushkin. This plot gave the writer the opportunity, following his hero, “to travel around Russia and show broadly the life of Russia and various landowners.”
2. Statement of the problematic question:
– Why do you think N.V. Gogol called his work “dead souls”?
3. Proposing hypotheses:
“Gogol named his poem because it talks about buying dead souls.”
– In my opinion, Gogol wants to show that the landowners have already, as it were, outlived their usefulness, they are, as it were, dead.
4. Repetition of old material in order to test hypotheses.
The teacher suggests recalling the works of Griboyedov and Lermontov.
– Remember Griboedov’s comedy. After all, it could be given a title, say, “The Adventures of Chatsky in Moscow.” Why did Griboyedov call the comedy “Woe from Wit”?
What meaning did he put into this name?
Student: Griboedov wanted to emphasize with this name that an intelligent, progressive person is not valued in noble society. The title emphasizes the intransigence, the conflict between the progressive, enlightened people and the reactionary, backward nobility.
Teacher: What is the meaning of the title of Lermontov's novel? Why didn’t he call it, say, “The Life of Pechorin”?
Student: By calling the novel “A Hero of Our Time,” M.Yu. Lermontov emphasizes Pechorin’s typicality for the 80s. In the preface to the novel, Lermontov wrote: “A hero of our time ...” is definitely a portrait, but not of one person. This is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation in their full development.”
The teacher summarizes: As you can see, the title of a work of art does not simply reflect its theme, does not simply reveal its theme, but reveals its ideological meaning.
5. Analysis of the content of Chapter 5 Gogol's poem and the image of Sobakevich in order to solve the problem.
Teacher: Let's turn again to Gogol. What meaning does he put into the title of the poem? Let's think about this name. What meaning do we put into the concept of “soul” when we say: “This is a person with a soul”, “A person with a beautiful soul”?
– The soul is the beautiful inner qualities of a person.
– By this concept we mean the noble aspirations of a person. This is the inner, spiritual world of a person.
Teacher: Let's reveal the meaning of the title of the poem using the example of the image of Sobakevich. What is his spiritual world, his aspirations? How does the writer describe the estate and the interior decoration of the rooms?
Students retell passages from Chapter 5 close to the text. Under the guidance of the teacher, they conclude that through the description of the situation, Gogol characterizes Sobakevich as a person who has no taste, no aesthetic sense.
Teacher: How is Sobakevich’s appearance described?
When students retell the relevant passages from the chapter, the teacher draws attention to the artistic techniques of depicting the image:
– Why does Gogol so persistently emphasize Sobakevich’s similarity to animals and things?
Students, guided by the teacher, conclude that Sobakevich’s external rudeness reveals the baseness and animality of his nature. The hyperbolic comparison with animals and furniture is a lyrical device that emphasizes that Sobakevich has nothing sublime.
Teacher: When Chichikov arrived at Sobakevich’s, the guest and the owner were silent for several minutes, staring blankly at each other. And even Chichikov, who is skilled in “small” conversations, does not know what to talk about with the owner of the house, how to break the awkward silence.
And that’s true, what can you talk about with Sobakevich? About politics, art, about the fate of Russia, about literature? - No, this ossified landowner is not interested in such questions.
And yet, at some points in the conversation, the usually silent Sobakevich becomes animated and even becomes eloquent. Obviously, the conversation turned to what interests him. When and why does Sobakevich revive?
Students say that Sobakevich perks up when it comes to bargaining over dead souls. Even Chichikov was surprised: “Where did the agility and gift of speech come from?”
6. Expressive reading based on the roles of the bargaining scene between Sobakevich and Chichikov.
Teacher: What interests and aspirations of Sobakevich are revealed in that scene?
Student: The main goal of Sobakevich’s life is profit. He is ready to bargain with anything and asks for a hundred rubles for a dead soul.
Teacher: What interests Sobakevich?
Student: Sobakevich loves to eat. He has a monstrous appetite. (They give examples, retelling the episodes “Breakfast at the Chief of Police”, “Lunch at Sobakevich”).
7. Student presentations
Teacher: It should be emphasized that Sobakevich is not only not ashamed of his morbid gluttony, but is proud of it. He even believes that the ability to eat is the main advantage of a Russian person.
There are different types of patriots. They value the history of their country, others value the culture, and others value the military victories of their native country. And Sobakevich, as you can see, is a special kind of patriot. He cannot be called a patriot of Russia - he is a patriot of the Russian stomach.
In a conversation with Chichikov, Sobakevich proved himself to be a good owner.
He knows well the business qualities of his peasants.
Compare how the peasants live among Sobakevich and Manilov?
Students: Sobakevich’s peasants live in prosperity, he makes sure that they live better.
(Retell the corresponding episodes of chapters 2 and 5)
Teacher: Is it possible to conclude from these facts that Sobakevich cares about his peasants?
Teacher: Sobakevich has the views of a serf owner. For him, peasants are slaves, a source of income, a commodity. He reproaches Chichikov that “his human soul is like a steamed turnip,” and then cynically adds: “Give me at least three rubles.”
But perhaps Sobakevich is so cruel only towards serfs, and has a different attitude towards people in his own circle?
Student: Sobakevich hates all people. One can cite as an example Sobakevich’s review of city officials. Sobakevich is a fist, he is ready to step on anyone’s foot, squeeze, crush a person.
Teacher: Such landowners, strong owners, convinced serf owners, were a reliable support for the reaction, a stronghold of the autocratic-serf system. Sobakevich appears in the poem as a symbol of Arakcheevism.
The teacher summarizes: This is what Sobakevich’s spiritual world is like: the absence of any high aspirations and interests, noble feelings. The world of profit, the world of property kills everything beautiful in a person. Gogol hyperbolically depicts the ugliness and absurdity of Sobakevich, thereby emphasizing his dead-heartedness.
The class, under the guidance of the teacher, will try to name the common features of all landowners, writing them on the board and in notebooks:
a) low cultural level;
b) lack of intellectual queries;
c) desire for enrichment;
d) cruelty in treatment of serfs;
e) moral uncleanliness;
f) lack of concept of patriotism.
8. Summing up the conversation. Solution
Teacher: How would you now explain the meaning of the title of the poem?
Student: Gogol calls landowners who lack beautiful human traits, feelings, and aspirations dead souls.
Teacher: On the poster are Herzen’s words, revealing the title of the poem: “Not the revision’s dead souls, but all these Sobakeviches, Nozdryovs, etc...” - and portraits of landowners. This is exactly how A.I. Herzen understood the meaning of the name. Work on the images of landowners continues.
9. Homework
1. Working with text based on images of landowners.
2. Work in groups: each group member receives a card with an individual task, the answers to which he must write down in a notebook. Each group also receives a card with a common task for everyone.
3. By choice (desire): write Sobakevich’s hymn.
Sobakevich comes fourth in the gallery of Gogol's landowners. This image is compared to Shakespeare’s Caliban, but there is also a lot in it that is purely Russian and national.
The main features of Sobakevich are intelligence, efficiency, practical acumen, but at the same time he is characterized by tight-fistedness, some kind of ponderous stability in his views, character, and way of life. These features are already noticeable in the Portrait of the Hero itself, which looks like a “medium-sized” bear. They even call him Mikhail Semenovich. “To complete the similarity, the tailcoat he was wearing was completely bear-colored, the sleeves were long, the trousers were long, he walked with his feet this way and that, constantly stepping on other people’s feet. The complexion had a red-hot, hot complexion, like what happens on a copper coin.”
In Sobakevich’s portrait we can feel the grotesque motive of the hero’s rapprochement with an animal, with a thing. Thus, Gogol emphasizes the limited interests of the landowner in the world of material life.
Gogol also reveals the qualities of the hero through landscape, interior and dialogues. Sobakevich's village is "quite large." To the left and right of her are “two forests, birch and pine, like two wings, one dark, the other lighter.” Already these forests speak of the landowner’s thriftiness, his practical savvy.
The owner's estate is fully consistent with the external and internal appearance. Sobakevich does not care at all about aesthetics, the external beauty of the objects around him, thinking only about their functionality. Chichikov, approaching Sobakevich’s house, notes that during construction, obviously, “the architect constantly struggled with the taste of the owner.” “The architect was a pedant and wanted symmetry, the owner wanted convenience...” notes Gogol. This “convenience”, concern for the functionality of objects, is manifested in Sobakevich in everything. The landowner's yard is surrounded by a "strong and excessively thick wooden lattice", the stables and barns are made of full-weight, thick logs, even the village huts of the peasants are "cut down marvelously" - "everything... is fitted tightly and properly."
The situation in Sobakevich’s house reproduces the same “strong, clumsy order.” The table, armchairs, chairs - everything is “of the heaviest and most restless quality”; in the corner of the living room there is a “pot-bellied walnut bureau on the most absurd four legs, a perfect bear.” On the walls hang pictures of “Greek generals” - unusually strong and tall fellows, “with such thick thighs and an incredible mustache that trembling runs through the body.”
It is characteristic that the motif of heroism reappears here, “playing the role of a positive ideological pole in the poem.” And this motif is set not only by the images of Greek commanders, but also by the portrait of Sobakevich himself, who has “the strongest and most wonderfully polished image.” This motif reflected Gogol’s dream of Russian heroism, which, according to the writer, lies not only in physical strength, but also in the “countless wealth of the Russian spirit.” The writer captures here the very essence of the Russian soul: “Russian movements will rise... and they will see how deeply ingrained into Slavic nature is that which slipped only through the nature of other peoples.”
However, in the image of Sobakevich, the “wealth of the Russian spirit” is suppressed by the world of material life. The landowner is concerned only with preserving his wealth and the abundance of the table. Most of all, he loves to eat well and tasty, not recognizing foreign diets. So, Sobakevich’s lunch is very “varied”: stuffed lamb stomach is served with cabbage soup, followed by “side of lamb with porridge”, cheesecakes, stuffed turkey and jam. “When I have pork, bring the whole pig to the table, bring the whole lamb, bring the whole goose, bring the whole goose!” - he says to Chichikov. Here Gogol debunks gluttony, one of the human vices that Orthodoxy fights.
It is characteristic that Sobakevich is far from stupid: he immediately realized the essence of Pavel Ivanovich’s lengthy speech and quickly set his price for the dead peasants. The landowner is logical and consistent when bargaining with Chichikov.
Sobakevich is insightful in his own way, endowed with a sober view of things. He has no illusions about city officials: “... these are all scammers; the whole city is like this: a swindler sits on a swindler and drives the swindler around.” The words of the hero here contain the truth of the author, his position.
Sobakevich's intelligence, his insight and, at the same time, the “wildness”, unsociability, and unsociability of the landowner are manifested in his speech. Sobakevich expresses himself very clearly, concisely, without excessive “prettiness” or floridity. Thus, to Chichikov’s lengthy rantings about the burdensome landowner’s obligation to pay taxes for revision souls who have “finished their career in life,” Mikhail Ivanovich “reacts” with one phrase; "Do you need dead souls?" When discussing acquaintances, the landowner may swear and use “strong words.”
The image of Sobakevich in the poem is static: readers are not presented with the hero’s life story, or any of his spiritual changes. However, the character that appears before us is lively and multifaceted. As in the chapters devoted to other landowners, Gogol uses here all the elements of the composition (landscape, interior, portrait, speech), subordinating them to the leitmotif of this image.
