Dead Souls

by Nikolai Gogol

let’s say Nozdryov.”

supposed Nozdryov

Chichikov

Anna Grigorievna,

lady agreeable in all respects

At first the scholar sidles up to it with extraordinary lowliness; he begins timidly, with moderation, starting from the most humble inquiry: “Can it be from there? Was it not from that corner that such and such a country took its name?” or “Does this document not belong to some other, later time?” or “Should we not take this people as in fact meaning that people?” He immediately quotes one or another ancient writer, and as soon as he sees some hint, or something he takes for a hint, he sets off at a trot and plucks up his courage; he converses with ancient writers on familiar terms, he asks them questions and even answers for them himself, forgetting entirely that he started with a timid supposition; it already seems to him that he can see it, that it is clear—and the reasoning concludes with the words: “This is how it was, this is the people that must be meant, this is the point of view to take on the subject!” Then, proclaimed publicly, from the podium, the newly discovered truth goes traveling all over the world, gathering followers and admirers.

How intellectual people form opinions about things from reading

prosecutor

governor’s daughter,

The ladies

Their position for the first moment was like that of a sleeping schoolboy whose comrades, getting up earlier, have put a hussar in his nose—that is, a rolled-up paper filled with snuff. Unwittingly inhaling all the snuff with all the zeal of a still-sleeping man, he awakes, jumps up, stares like a fool, goggle-eyed, in all directions, unable to understand where he is or what has happened, and only then notices the indirect ray of sun shining on the wall, the laughter of his comrades hiding in the corners, and the dawning day looking in the window, the awakened forest sounding with the voices of thousands of birds, the light shining on the river, disappearing now and then in its gleaming curlicues amid the slender rushes, all strewn with naked children calling others to come for a swim, and only then finally feels the hussar sitting in his nose. This was precisely the position of the inhabitants and officials of the town for the first moment. Each of them stood like a sheep, goggling his eyes.

A sense of how bewildered and lost the townpeople were

riddle of the dead souls?

governor’s daughter

They did spread it, however, so there must have been some reason? But what was the reason for the dead souls? There even was no reason. It was all a mere cock-and-bull story, nonsense, balderdash, soft-boiled boots! Mere devil take it! … In short, there was talk and more talk, and the whole town started chattering about the dead souls and the governor’s daughter, about Chichikov and the dead souls, about the governor’s daughter and Chichikov, and everything there arose. Like a whirlwind the hitherto apparently slumbering town blew up!

Zavalishin and Polezhaev

Sopikov and Khrapovitsky,

Sysoy Pafnutievich

It suddenly turned out that the town’s wits were divided into two completely opposite opinions, and suddenly two opposite parties were formed—the men’s party and the women’s party. The men’s party, the more witless of the two, paid attention to the dead souls. The women’s party occupied itself exclusively with the abduction of the governor’s daughter. It must be noted to the ladies’ credit that there was incomparably more order and circumspection in their party. Clearly, it is their very function to be good mistresses and managers. Everything with them soon took on a lively, definite look, was clothed in clear and obvious forms, explained, purified—

Men vs. Women 😂😂😂😂

Chichikov

Chichikov was rich as a Jew,

In other houses, it was told somewhat differently: that Chichikov did not have any wife, but, being a subtle man who acted only when certain of himself, he had undertaken, in order to win the hand of the daughter, to start an affair with the mother, had had a secret amorous liaison with her, and afterwards had made a declaration concerning the daughter’s hand; but the mother, frightened that a crime against religion might be committed, and feeling pangs of conscience, had flatly refused, and this was why Chichikov had resolved on abduction.

In Russia, the lower society likes very much to discuss the gossip that occurs in high society, and so people started discussing it all in such hovels as had never known or set eyes on Chichikov, and there were additions and still further explanations. The subject became more entertaining every moment, assumed more definitive forms every day, and finally, just as it was, in all its definitiveness, was delivered into the very ears of the governor’s wife.

The poor blonde

governor’s wife,

But, however the men armed themselves and resisted, their party still lacked the order of the women’s. Everything with them was somehow crude, unpolished, unformed, uncomely, unattuned, none too good, in their heads a jumble, a muddle, a scramble, untidiness in their thoughts—in short, everything pointed to man’s empty nature, his coarse, heavy nature, incapable of good management, or of heartfelt convictions, pusillanimous, lazy, filled with ceaseless doubt and eternal fear.

Is that what a lack of feminine energy does to a man?

Chichikov

devil knows what,

a new governor-general had been appointed to the province—an event known to put officials into a state of alarm: there would be reshuffling, reprimanding, lambasting, and all the official belly-wash to which a superior treats his subordinates.

What a new manager is bound to do

The inspector of the board of health

might not Chichikov

head magistrate

fear is more catching than the plague and communicates itself instantly.

The first incident had occurred with some Solvychegodsk merchants, who came to town for the fair and when their dealings were finished threw a party for their friends, the merchants from Ustsysolsk, a party on a real Russian footing, with German trimmings: orgeats, punches, cordials, and so on.

The Solvychegodsks

the Ustsysolsk boys

The other incident that had occurred recently was the following: the state peasants of the hamlet called Lousy Arrogance, joining with their fellows from the hamlet of Borovki, alias Cockyville, supposedly wiped from the face of the earth the local police force, in the person of the assessor, a certain Drobyazhkin, this local police force—

local police force,

local police force

the local police

Lousy Arrogance

Drobyazhkin was a dead man,

Lousy Arrogance and alias-Cockyville,

It also happened, as if by design, that just when the gentlemen officials were in a difficult position to begin with, two documents came to the governor simultaneously. The content of one was that, according to evidence and reports received, there was in their province a maker of forged banknotes, hiding under various names, and that the strictest investigation should immediately be undertaken.

robber fleeing legal prosecution,

It was decided to make a few more inquiries of those from whom the souls had been bought, in order to find out at least what sort of purchases they were, and what precisely these dead souls could mean, and whether he had somehow explained to anyone, be it only by chance, in passing, his true intentions, and had told anyone who he was.

Korobochka,

Manilov answered

Sobakevich answered

The gentlemen officials resorted to yet another method, not altogether noble, but which nevertheless is sometimes employed —that is, making inquiries in a roundabout way, through various lackey acquaintances, of Chichikov’s servants, whether they knew any details concerning their master’s former life and circumstances, but again they heard little. From Petrushka they got only the smell of living quarters, and from Selifan that he had been in the goverman’s service and once worked in eustoms, and nothing else. This class of people has a very strange habit. If you ask one of them directly about anything, he will never remember, nothing will come to his head, and he will even say he simply does not know, but if you ask about something else, then he will spin his yarn and tell such details as you would not even want to know.

Seems appropriate of the worker class 😂😂😂😂

the house of the police chief,

house of the police chief,