This article will consider the characteristics of the landowner Sobakevich - one of the main characters in the work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol "Dead Souls". It is interesting that the idea of this poem belonged to the great poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, and Gogol only fulfilled his promise to him - he created the work.
It should be noted that he did not complete his mission, because it was originally planned to create three volumes of the poem (in the likeness of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise), but only the first one reached the reader. There is an assumption that the almost completely finished second volume was destroyed by the writer for unknown reasons, and Gogol did not have time to write the third. In order to get at least a little closer to unraveling the mysteries associated with the fate of these works of the great writer, philologists of our time carefully analyze and study the images of his heroes, create a comparative description of Sobakevich, Korobochka, Manilov, Nozdrev, Plyushkin and other characters.works.
History of writing
It must be said that the poem "Dead Souls", like many other works of the author, is an immortal work of literary art. It depicts the reality of Russia in the 19th century, which is reflected in today's day. The activities of ignorant officials, the arbitrariness of the authorities, the plight of ordinary people - all this is fully represented by the author on the pages of the work.
In addition to describing different types of people, Nikolai Vasilyevich also describes inanimate objects in detail, which allows the reader to clearly imagine the way of life of the Russian people in the 19th century. The key figures of the poem allow creating a general idea of the people of that time: Chichikov, Manilov, Korobochka, Plyushkin, Sobakevich. The characterization of the hero is presented by Gogol in such a way that each of them is endowed with both typical features of the representatives of the era, and individual ones that are different from others.
An interesting discovery of observers and researchers was also that the sequence of appearance of characters in Gogol's poem is not random, everything is subject to a certain order. This fact allows us to get closer to understanding the main idea of the work.
Landlord Sobakevich: characterization of the hero
Dead souls were sold by many landowners. Sobakevich Mikhailo Semenovich deserves special attention among them. The author introduces the reader to this hero long before he appears in the plot. First, Gogol describes his possessions, as if preparing the reader for the perception of suchdifficult character, like Sobakevich. The characterization of the hero is revealed through a detailed depiction of his village, a large village with strong buildings. The house of Sobakevich himself was a solid structure and seemed to be eternal. Peasant estates were also distinguished by good quality and reliability. But, as Chichikov noticed when he entered the village of Sobakevich, that the owner of the property was not at all concerned about the aesthetics of the buildings, there was not a single superfluous “useless” decorative element on them. The appearance of the buildings was not distinguished by sophistication, practicality and functionality - this is the main feature of the buildings owned by the landowner Sobakevich.
The characteristic of the hero can also be traced in the description of the surrounding nature. The author says that there was a pine forest on one side of the village, and a birch forest on the other. He compares the forests with the wings of one bird, only one of them is light and the other is dark. So Gogol makes it clear to the reader that Sobakevich, the owner of the property, is endowed with various personal qualities.
Appearance of the landowner
A brief description of Sobakevich, in particular his appearance, is given by the author in the work itself. Gogol compares the hero with a medium-sized bear, focuses on his bear-colored tailcoat. Even the name, Mikhailo Semenovich, was not chosen by chance, it is involuntarily associated with a brown clubfoot animal. In addition, the landowner Sobakevich moved like a bear, now and then stepping on someone's feet.
The hero has a hot, red-hot complexion, which undoubtedly once again indicateson the inviolability and strength of his nature.
Character traits
The character of the hero is superbly described by the author. He reveals himself not only in appearance, gait, gestures, but also in the manner of speaking, and in the whole way of his life. From the first words, the hero is credited with an absolute earthiness of views and interests.
Every detail in Sobakevich's room was very similar to his master. The paintings hanging in his house depicted Greek heroes, in appearance reminiscent of Mikhail Semenovich. The walnut bureau and the dark spotted thrush were similar to it.
Presented by the writer as a strong, prudent owner Mikhailo Sobakevich. The characterization of the hero makes it clear that his peasants live safely and calmly under his command. And his efficiency and natural power, which began to look like a dull inertia, is a disaster, not the hero's fault.
Views on life
Sobakevich is hostile to everything connected with spirituality. In his understanding, culture and education are harmful and useless inventions. The main thing for him is taking care of his own well-being and a well-fed existence under any circumstances.
In a conversation with Chichikov, our hero shows himself to be a predator with a stranglehold, ready to seize prey at any cost. It is in this vein that the author characterizes Sobakevich. Dead souls - that's what Chichikov came to him for, and Mikhailo Semenych immediately called a spade a spade, without waiting,until they start to bore him with hints. He was not ashamed to bargain and even cheat, slipping the female soul of Elizabeth Sparrow to Chichikov. During the transaction, the main qualities of the landowner Sobakevich appeared. His straightforwardness and quick wit sometimes bordered on rudeness, cynicism and ignorance.
Mikhailo Semenovich personally wrote a list of all his deceased peasants, in addition, he spoke about each of them - what he did, what character traits he possessed. At first glance, it might seem that Sobakevich is worried about his subordinates, since he knows so much about them. But in fact, he is guided by a simple calculation - he cares who lives in his possessions, and he knows well who and how can be useful to him.
Sobakevich's relationship with the environment
An attentive reader will undoubtedly notice what Sobakevich is similar to other heroes and what are his differences. The main ones have already been mentioned above. It is also worth paying attention to the fact that Sobakevich does not accept stinginess, as evidenced by his desire for his subordinates to live well, and criticism towards the landowner Plyushkin, who, having eight hundred souls of peasants, eats like a shepherd. Sobakevich himself loved to eat delicious food. He also understands that one can get more from a strong peasant economy, which is probably why he provides his wards in abundance.
The landowner speaks unflatteringly of officials, calling them "Christ-sellers" and swindlers. But this does not prevent him from doing business with them and making deals. And in general, not a single goodno word came out of his mouth when he talked about the people he is friends with or associates with.
Conclusions
Despite the fact that the author leaves Sobakevich a chance for revival, attributing many good qualities to him, there is no doubt that the soul of the landowner is dead. He, like many others, does not allow changes around and within himself, because only the person who has a soul can change.
