The landowner Sobakevich is a very colorful character in Gogol’s “Dead Souls”, outwardly reminiscent of a bear with his clumsiness, massiveness and tendency to gluttony. He prefers half a side of lamb or a whole sturgeon to French delicacies such as frog legs or oysters. At the same time, Sobakevich is proud of his Russian heroic stomach, capable of digesting any food, and even in huge quantities. He openly mocks the diets of the French and Germans, and Sobakevich’s characterization is already evident quite clearly in this episode. After lunch at Mikhail Semenovich's, Chichikov, who is buying dead souls from landowners, feels a whole pound heavier.
The guest is struck by the fact that Sobakevich gives only negative characteristics to everyone around the landowner: his governor is almost a highwayman, the prosecutor is a pig, and his neighbor Plyushkin is a dog. This is where the characterization of Sobakevich in Nikolai Gogol’s “Dead Souls” appears very clearly.
Conversation between Sobakevich and Chichikov
By nature, Sobakevich is so unperturbed that he doesn’t even raise an eyebrow at Chichikov’s amazing offer to sell him dead souls, and immediately begins to bargain, asking for an exorbitantly high price - 100 rubles per soul. If we remember Chichikov’s visit to Korobochka, then Nastasya Petrovna in a similar situation even bulged her eyes out of amazement.
He bargains on a kulak scale, but the price per head eventually drops to two and a half rubles. This behavior is typical of Sobakevich’s calculating and tight-fisted nature.
Also speaking about the characteristics of Sobakevich, we note that he is not distinguished by his fine mental organization, flexibility of mind and desire for enlightenment, but he is a strong business executive who owns a large, well-equipped village. He himself lives in a good-quality house with a mezzanine, and his peasants have strong and durable houses. In Mikhail Semenovich’s household, order and prosperity can be seen everywhere and in everything. You can also read quotes from the poem “Dead Souls”, which mention the words of the landowner Sobakevich.
Sobakevich loves everything strong, even if it is simple in appearance. The bulky and durable pieces of furniture surrounding Mikhail Semenovich seem to say that they, too, are Sobakevichs.
Of the gallery of landowners presented by Nikolai Gogol in Dead Souls, Sobakevich is the most positive and least vulgar literary hero, despite all his earthiness.
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.
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.
Image of Sobakevich grade 9
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, from French food to 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 in heavy wooden frames hang throughout the house. 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, asking 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. When 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”.
Arts and entertainment
Characteristics of Sobakevich, the hero of Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”
April 25, 2014The idea for the poem “Dead Souls,” which became immortal, was presented to Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol by the poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. Creating a work is the main mission that Gogol had to fulfill. The writer himself thought so. Gogol's plans included writing three volumes of the poem (in the likeness of Hell, Purgatory, Paradise). Only the first volume of the work was written and published. Only he reached the reader. The sad fate of the second volume and the reasons that gave rise to it remain a mystery to this day. Modern philologists in their works try to unravel the mysteries associated with writing a work. For this purpose, the images created in the poem are carefully studied and analyzed, and characteristics of Sobakevich, Manilov, Korobochka and other main characters are given.
Gallery of poem images
In the poem “The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls,” and it was under this title that the work was published for the first time, a whole gallery of images is presented - different types of people and even inanimate objects. Using this technique, Gogol masterfully depicts the way of life in Russia in the 19th century.
It shows common features - the ignorance of officials, the arbitrariness of the authorities, the plight of the people. At the same time, the poem clearly presents the characters of individual characters and their individual characteristics.
For example, the image of Sobakevich, Plyushkin, Korobochka, Nozdryov, Manilov, Chichikov allows the reader to understand that the heroes are typical representatives of a certain era, although each brings something of their own, individual, different from the others. The appearances of characters in Gogol's poem are not random moments. Their presentation to the reader is subject to a certain order, which is very important for revealing the overall concept of the work.
Sobakevich's possessions
Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich in the poem “Dead Souls” appears before the readers as the fourth character in the gallery of images. Acquaintance with him begins long before the appearance of the hero himself.
A large village with strong and substantial buildings opens up to Chichikov’s gaze. The house of the landowner himself seemed to be destined for “eternal standing.” The buildings that belonged to the peasants also surprised Chichikov with their reliability and good quality.
It’s immediately obvious that the owner doesn’t care about the outside of the buildings or their aesthetics at all. What is important is the functionality, the practical benefit of what surrounds it.
When describing the landscape, you need to pay attention to the forests that surround the village. On one side there was a birch forest, and on the other, a pine forest. This also indicates the thriftiness of the owner of the estate. Gogol compares the forest with the wings of the same bird, but one of them is light and the other is dark. Perhaps this is an indication of the character's character. This is how Gogol prepares the reader to perceive the complex image of the landowner Sobakevich.
The appearance of the hero
Gogol gives a description of Sobakevich and his external characteristics in comparison with animals and inanimate objects.
This is a medium-sized clumsy bear. He moves by stepping on someone's feet. His tailcoat is bear-colored. Even the name, Mikhailo Semenovich, evokes an association in the reader with an animal.
It was not by chance that Gogol did this. The characterization of Sobakevich, the description of his inner world begins precisely with the perception of the character’s appearance. After all, we first of all pay attention to such features.
Sobakevich’s complexion, which was red-hot, hot, like a copper coin, also indicates some kind of strength, inviolability of character.
Description of the interior and the image of the hero of the poem
The interior of the rooms where Sobakevich lived is unusually similar to the image of the owner. Here the chairs, the table, and the table were just as clumsy, bulky, and heavy as he was.
The reader, having familiarized himself with the description of the hero’s appearance and his environment, can assume that his spiritual interests are limited, that he is too close to the world of material life.
What distinguishes Sobakevich from other landowners
An attentive reader will definitely notice this difference. The image of the landowner Sobakevich, having many common features with other characters in the poem, is at the same time very different from them. This brings some variety.
The landowner Sobakevich not only loves reliability and strength in everything, but also gives his serfs the opportunity to live thoroughly and stand firmly on their feet. This shows the practical acumen and efficiency of this character.
When the deal with Chichikov to sell dead souls took place, Sobakevich personally wrote a list of his deceased peasants. At the same time, he remembered not only their names, but also the crafts that his subordinates owned. He could describe each of them - name the attractive and negative aspects of a person’s character.
This indicates that the landowner is not indifferent to who lives in his village and who he owns. At the right moment, he will use the qualities of his people, of course, to his benefit.
He absolutely does not accept excessive stinginess and condemns his neighbors for it. So Sobakevich speaks of Plyushkin, who, having eight hundred souls of serfs, eats worse than a shepherd. Mikhailo Semenovich himself is very happy to please his stomach. Gluttony is perhaps his main business in life.
Make a deal
This is an interesting point in the poem. The moment of concluding a deal related to the purchase of dead souls tells a lot about Sobakevich. The reader notices that the landowner is smart - he understands instantly what Chichikov wants. Once again, such traits as practicality and the desire to do everything for one’s benefit come to the fore.
In addition, in this situation Sobakevich’s straightforwardness is manifested. Sometimes it turns into rudeness, ignorance, cynicism, which is the real essence of the character.
What is alarming in the description of the hero’s image?
The characterization of Sobakevich, some of his actions and statements make the reader wary. Although much of what the landowner does, at first glance, seems worthy of respect. For example, the desire to ensure that the peasants stand firmly on their feet does not at all indicate Sobakevich’s high spirituality. This is done only to benefit oneself - there is always something to take from the strong economy of the subjects.
Sobakevich says about city officials that they are swindlers, “Christ-sellers.” And this is most likely true. But all of the above does not prevent him from having some profitable business and relationships with these scammers.
The reader is also alarmed by the fact that he did not say a single kind word about a single person with whom Sobakevich knew, with whom he was friends, if you can call it that.
His attitude towards science and education is sharply negative. And Mikhailo Semenovich would hang the people who are doing this - he hates them so much. This is probably due to the fact that Sobakevich understands: education can shake the established foundations, and this is unprofitable for the landowner. This is where his heaviness and stability of views come from.
Mortality of Sobakevich's soul
The characterization of Sobakevich with all its positive and negative aspects allows us to draw the main conclusion: the landowner Mikhailo Semenovich is dead just like his neighbors, officials from the city, and the adventurer Chichikov. The reader clearly understands this.
Having an established character and way of life, Sobakevich and his neighbors will not allow any changes around them. Why do they need this? To change, a person needs a soul, but these people don’t have it. Gogol never managed to look into the eyes of Sobakevich and other characters in the poem (except Plyushkin). This technique once again indicates the absence of a soul.
The deadness of the characters is also evidenced by the fact that the author tells very little about the family ties of the heroes. One gets the impression that they all came from nowhere, they have no roots, which means they have no life.