In the first half of the XIX century, many writers assigned a huge role to the theme of Russia in their work. At that time, the ruthless tyranny of landowners and officials reigned, and the life of the peasants was unbearably difficult. The life of serf Russia was reflected in many works. One of them was a poem novel written by N. V. Gogol, "Dead Souls". The image of Nozdrev, like Chichikov, Manilov and other heroes, is very bright and outlines the attitude to reality of all representatives of the aristocracy of that time. The author in his work tried to convey to the readers the immorality that reigned at that time in all its manifestations.
General mood of Russia at the beginning of the XIX century
The domestic state system of that time developed with an emphasis on serfdom. Important moral values ​​were pushed into the background, and social status and money were considered priority. People did not strive for the best, they were not interested in either science or art. They did not try to leave the descendants of absolutely no cultural heritage. In achieving his goal - wealth - a person does not stop at anything. He will deceive, steal, betray, sell. The current situation could not but worry people thinking, those who were far from indifferent to the fate of the Fatherland.
Representatives of the aristocracy in the work
The name "Dead Souls" was not chosen by the author by chance. It is very symbolic and perfectly reflects the mood of serf Russia. The author did not spare colors, depicting a whole gallery of faces, showing the spiritual decline, threatening the fatherland. At the beginning of the story, the reader appears Manilov - an idle dreamer, a dreamer. The series of portraits ends in the image of Plyushkin. This representative of the nobility appeared as a "gap in humanity." In the work "Dead Souls" the image of Nozdrev appears approximately in the middle. In it you can see something from Plyushkin, something from Manilov.
Characteristic image of Nozdrev
For the first time in the work, he appears in the city of NN. The reader will not learn anything special about him except that he was a card cheater. His whole being was somehow ridiculous: he was ridiculous, he said nonsense, not thinking about the consequences of his statements. The author himself, depicting the image of Nozdrev, speaks of him as a "broken guy." Actually, this is true, and all the actions of the hero emphasize this. Nozdryov used to live for today, thinking little about the future. So, for example, he exchanged winnings for cards for absolutely unnecessary items and things that he lost the next day to other, more successful players. All this, according to Gogol himself, was due to some kind of briskness, briskness and restlessness of the character of the hero. This "energy" forced Nozdrev to commit other acts, mostly rash and spontaneous.
Vices of the hero
All that Nozdrev has - thoroughbred dogs, horses - all the best. But the hero’s boasting is often unfounded. Despite the fact that his possessions border on another's forest, he speaks of him as his own. Illustrating the image of the landowner Nozdrev, one cannot but mention all the absurd situations in which he found himself. Either he is being taken out of the noble assembly, then he takes part in a fight. One of the hallmarks of a character is his tendency to do dirty tricks on people. Moreover, the more he became close to a person, the stronger was the desire to annoy. So, Nozdrev upsets weddings and bargains. However, he perceived his actions as leprosy, not considering them offensive. Moreover, Nozdrev was even genuinely surprised if he heard that someone from his acquaintances was offended by him.
The main features of the hero
Revealing the image of Nozdrev, the author depicts vulgarity in a kind of deceitful, impudent form. Its origins are traced in the comedies of Aristophanes and Plavt. However, a lot of the character and the native Russian, national. The main personality traits of Nozdryov are boasting, arrogance, tendency to rowdy, unpredictability, energy. As the author himself notes, people of such a warehouse are, as a rule, “reckless, cuticles, talkers,” and in their faces you can always see something direct, remote, open. Among other things, they like to take a walk and are avid players. They are distinguished by sociability, combined with arrogance. Sometimes it seems that friendship with them can last a very long time, however, with a "new acquaintance" such people can fight at a feast that evening.
The contrast of internal and external in the character
The description of the image of Nozdrev in the work is quite clear. Portraying a hero, the author does not spare artistic means. An expressive portrait of the character. Outwardly, he is a man of medium stature, not badly built, with ruddy, full cheeks, snow-white teeth, and tarry whiskers. He was a fresh, healthy young man with physical strength. In an episode of the poem, the reader can trace the tradition of Russian heroism. However, the image of Nozdrev is a comic reflection of epic motifs. The contrast of its internal and external features is very noticeable. Nozdrev’s lifestyle is the exact opposite of the actions of epic heroes. Everything that the character of the poem does does not make sense, and his "exploits" do not extend beyond fights at the fair or card cheating. The image of Nozdryov comically reflects the motive of the "broad soul", "remote revelry" - originally Russian features. The whole appearance of the character is only the appearance of that national "breadth" in a good sense. The hero not only cannot claim to be “soulful”, but also shows absolutely opposite qualities. Nozdrev is a drunkard, impudent and a liar. Moreover, he is cowardly and completely insignificant.
Character Farm
Depicting the landscape present in the episode of a visit to Nozdrev by Chichikov, the author points out the lack of care of the owner. His farm was in a very upset form and completely fell into decay. This, again, indicates the absence of orderliness and deliberation of Nozdrev's lifestyle. In his stable, the stalls were empty, the house was down, there was a mess in it. The only place kept in proper condition was a kennel. On it, the landowner felt like "the father of the family." According to some critics, the hero himself is somewhat like a dog: it can both bark and cuddle. Nozdryov’s character traits are also reflected in the interior of the house. There are no papers or books in his office. However, the walls are hung with sabers, guns, Turkish daggers and various tubes. The barrel organ is symbolic in this interior. In this item there is one pipe that did not want to calm down. This detail was a kind of character symbol of the character. It shows the irrepressible energy, restlessness and agility of the hero.
Nozdrev behavior
The energy of the hero pushes him to various exploits. So, for example, having a tendency to exchange, everything that he has at the moment changes to something else. The hero immediately spends the money that appears at the fair, buying all sorts of completely unnecessary things: smoking candles, pipe clamps, pistols, pots, tobacco, raisins and more. But all acquired things are rarely delivered to the house, since on the same day he can lose everything. Despite the disorder of his life as a whole, Nozdrev shows an amazing sequence for him when making a deal with Chichikov. The landowner is trying to sell everything he can: dogs, stallions, barrel organ. After Nozdrev starts a game of checkers, an exchange of chaises. But Chichikov notices cheating and refuses to play. The manners of Nozdrev are also peculiar. His speech is always emotional, diverse in composition, he says loudly, often crying out. But the image of Nozdrev is static in terms of the fact that he appears to the reader to be fully formed. The backstory of the hero is closed, and no internal changes take place with the character during the storytelling.
Conclusion
Gogol, portraying Nozdrev, created a colorful and easily recognizable character. The hero is a typical bouncer, scorcher, talker, debater, rowdy, cuticle. He does not mind drinking and loves to play. However, despite all the "typicality", some details and individual little things give the character an individuality. The whole story is riddled with a fair amount of humor. However, the work depicts heroes, their characters, manners, actions and behavior, reporting a rather serious problem of that time - the loss of morality, spirituality. Gogol’s poem is “laughter through tears”. The author created the work, tormented by the question of what awaits Russia in the future, if people do not change their minds and begin to change.