Dead Souls Summary: Madame Korobotchka’s Role in the Story
How can Madame Korobotchka Help Readers to Find out About the Motives and True Nature of Tchitchikov?
The Poem of N.Gogol Dead Souls is just a sharp satire on the landlord-serf system, trying to retain in autocratic Russia. Stupid, ignorant, losing a human face landowners aren't only ridiculous, but terrible. It should be noted that Gogol reveals the image of Chichikov in another way than the remaining portion of the images of the heroes of the poem. All things considered, he couldn't characterize Chichikov through his relation to the feudal property and in the description of his life. Gogol shows this character for action, in the process of implementation by him of his intentions, in particular, in his ending up in Madame Korobochka (Blank, 1997).
“Empty-headed” Madam Korobochka is not so primitive and simple as it can first seem. Researcher of Dead Souls Vladimir Fedorov calls her “an ally of the author contrary to the scoundrel-acquirer Chichikov” (Fanger, 1979, P. 16). Why? Why don't we think: what namely Korobochka does not ingest the adventure of Chichikov? The primary argument of the hero in a dialogue with her is complete unsuitability of the dead throughout the market – doesn't have probative value for Korobochka.
It could seem that Korobochka with “chicken” limited outlook may be the complete opposite to Chichikov along with his adventurism and breakneck wide scale of the conceived enterprise. However the similarities of Chichikov with her exist, and it should really be noted that similarity is considerable. It really is no coincidence that here Gogol identifies the description of Chichikov’ box, and his description shows that this box that resembles a “dresser” of Korobochka. It appears that in a box of Chichikov in addition to in the dresser of Korobochka you'll find nothing except travelling stuff. But it is not so. “Under top of the compartment there's lower one, the main space of which is occupied by stacks of papers” (Gogol, 2003, p. 65). Namely this yet another little lurking box your money can buy opened by the side of the box unnoticed lies. It was always quickly moved in and out at the same moment by the dog owner that probably one can't say how much cash was there. “Genius of miserliness, Korobochka immediately appreciates Chichikov’ version of her “dresser, ” “A nice little box you have, my father … I guess you'll want bought it in Moscow? ” (Gogol, 2003, p. 77).
Both in Chichikov and in Korobochka greed, drawing capital by any means are etching the human warmth of their hearts, and they are gradually transformed in to the most real “dead souls. ”
Works Cited
Blank, K. (1997). The Endless Passage: The Making of a Plot in the Russian Novel. PhD diss., Columbia Academy.
Gogol, N. (2003). Dead Souls (Dover Thrift Editions). Dover Publications
Fanger, D. (1979). The Creation of Nikolai Gogol. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
