How much did Chichikov’s financial career in Dead Souls begin with?

Dead Souls tells of a scoundrel and careerist who arrived in City N and got into confidence in local officials. The main character of Gogol’s poem is a rather unpleasant personality. A swindler, an envious, unprincipled liar. In the eleventh chapter, the author talks about how much Chichikov’s financial career began and what events influenced the formation of his mindset. This explains a lot. Including greed, skopidomstvo of the former college assessor.

It is customary to start a biography from childhood. But we will do otherwise. Recall the events of the main storyline. Then, about what the author told about the hero’s misadventures before N. appeared in the city. And finally, we will tell about the childhood of the hunter for dead souls - here will be the answer to the question of how much Chichikov’s financial career began.

Unexpected guest

The inhabitants of N. did not really wait for him. But this does not mean that Chichikov was not welcome here. He was able to find a common language with officials of different ranks. Arriving in an unfamiliar city, first of all he visited all the significant people. Chichikov meticulously collected information about officials and, it is worth noting, first found out about income, the number of souls, and then he met. He spoke little about himself.

It is not so important how much Chichikov’s financial career began. The important thing is how he was able to manage this money. Once in adolescence, he managed to use a small amount very profitably, but he would not have succeeded, if not for charm, the talent to inspire confidence even in arrogant, inaccessible officials.

The former college adviser (why the former, it is said below) visited the most wealthy and influential personalities of the city. Tried to make a dubious deal with each of them. But nothing came of it.

Gogol, as you know, planned to write a sequel to Dead Souls, but he burned the manuscript, although the poem without the second part is a complete, perfect work. This is a book about careerism, greed, about an irresistible desire to achieve a high social position. Like Chichikov were, is and will be.

Teacher

In the gymnasium years, Pavlush did not differ from his peers in his abilities, but he was diligent and always neat. None of the students knew how to sit so humbly in the lesson as Chichikov. This was appreciated by a teacher, a well-known lover of silence, who did not feel sympathy for frisky and capable students.

Chichikov not only behaved well in the lesson, but also in every possible way pleased this stupid and weak person, thanks to which he always had good grades. Later, when he had already graduated from high school, teachers were fired. The teacher began to drink and completely lowered, and former students who did not enjoy his favor collected a small amount for him. Only Pavlush Chichikov refused to help.

Career

As with the teacher, Chichikov acted with his first boss. He was a stern man with a mealy complexion, completely indifferent to any flattery and toadness. But the boss had a daughter - a daughters-in-law, a very unattractive person with the same mealy complexion. Chichikov charmed the girl, thereby rubbing confidence in a formidable official, and he patted a new place for the future son-in-law. Having received the long-awaited position, the young careerist instantly forgot about both the former boss and his daughter.

A little later, the hero entered the service at customs, where he reached unprecedented heights. True, he did not manage to stop in time - he entered into a criminal conspiracy with smugglers, was fired and stripped of his rank.

How much did Chichikov’s financial career begin?

Little is known about the origin of the hero. Apparently, Chichikov was the son of a poor nobleman. Pillar or personal? It does not really matter. In the eleventh chapter, where the author finally names the amount with which Chichikov’s financial career began, the reader sees the following picture: a little boy sits by the window every day and carefully paints a pen on paper. The interior of the room is dull, unattractive. The life of the future swindler is gray and monotonous.

But life is changing. One day, his father took Pavlush to the city and, before saying goodbye, gave instructions at the gymnasium, which made a strong impression on the young man. How much did Chichikov’s financial career in Dead Souls begin with? Father gave the protagonist half a cent of copper for expenses and goodies. What is this amount? Is this a lot?

Young businessman

It is difficult for a modern reader to understand how much Chichikov’s financial career in Gogol’s work began. What is poltina? This is fifty kopecks. No more than five hundred rubles, if translated into modern money. You could buy sweets for this amount, and any child in the place of Pavlushi would do that. But Chichikov was an extraordinary personality at that age. The father finally said to his son: "Please rich, take care of a penny - it is more reliable and more important than anything." And these words sunk into the soul of the boy. Since then, he loves money passionately, until self-forgetfulness.

Already in the early years, Chichikov was able to deny himself everything. He did not spend the money he received from his father. Moreover, in the first year of his studies at the gymnasium, he exaggerated his “condition”. First he made a bullfinch made of wax and sold it, then he went into other speculations, namely, he bought some goodies on the market for further sale. In the class I sat down with those who were richer. At an opportune moment he would eat something edible, and his comrade, hungry, would buy a roll and a carrot from Pavlushi. Thus began the career of a fraudster and a scoundrel, who, however, did not achieve success in any of his enterprises.