The main image of the comedy is the image of a county town. Gogol called it "prefabricated" and "soulful", apparently meaning that it contains all types of the urban population, shows their character traits and social behavior ("prefabricated city"), draws attention to the sins and weaknesses of people ("soulful city ").
The comedy's character system reflects the social structure of the city. It is headed by the mayor - Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky. He is endowed with all powers of authority and is responsible for everything that happens in the city. Hence the three characteristics that outline this image: power (status), guilt (irresponsibility), fear (expectation of punishment). The following are four images of officials representing the management of the city: the judiciary in the person of judge Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin, postal and telegraph communications - the postmaster Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin, education is in charge of the superintendent of schools Luka Lukich Khlopov, social services are headed by the trustee of charitable institutions Artemy Filippovich Zemlyanika . Three officials, with the exception of Shpekin, are shown together with the departments they manage. So, Lyapkin-Tyapkin is presented with an eternally tipsy assessor, watchmen and visitors to the court. The education system is also depicted in detail: Khlopov, teachers, students. The charitable establishments are characterized by the order prevailing in the hospital, the image of Strawberry and the sinister figure of the doctor Gibner. To show the continuity and inviolability of the criminal bureaucratic power in the city, Gogol introduces characters who do not take part in the action - retired officials Lyulyukov, Rastakovsky and Korobkin. The support and protection of the authorities are police officers Svistunov, Pugovitsyn and Derzhimorda, headed by a private bailiff Ukhovertov.
Other segments of the city's population are represented primarily by urban landowners Petr Ivanovich Bobchinsky and Petr Ivanovich Dobchinsky. And by matching names, and by the same behavior, you can immediately understand that we have traditional “paired characters” who, in the plot of a comedy, will perform a common function for two. The absurdity of Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky is already indicated in their status: landlords who live in the city and turn into gossips from idleness.
The images of merchants are not outlined as clearly as the images of officials. The merchant Abdulin, the obvious leader and author of a note to Khlestakov, is partly distinguished. This note exhaustively characterizes the social essence of the merchant class: “To his noble lord of finance from the merchant Abdulin ...” This appeal has two features: Abdulin does not know what rank or title to use, therefore, just in case, he mixes them all. And the expression "master of finance" reflects the hierarchy of values of the merchant - in his eyes, at the very top of the social ladder is the one who is in charge of finance.
The merchants are followed by another category of the population - the bourgeoisie, represented by the locksmith Poshlepkina and the wife of a non-commissioned officer. In these images, two sins are personified: anger and money-grubbing. The locksmith is rightly indignant that the mayor gave her husband out of the line to the soldiers, but she curses the innocent relatives of the mayor. The wife of a non-commissioned officer is not worried about the insult inflicted on her, the humiliation of female dignity, but about what benefit she can derive from the "happiness" that has befallen her.
The images of servants complete the gallery of characters. It may seem that they are the same and do not deserve special attention, but this is not so. The comedy depicts three social categories of servants: the city tavern servant - impudent and somewhat cheeky; a servant in the mayor's house - Mishka, helpful, but knowing his own worth; and Khlestakov’s personal servant, Osip, a type of lord’s servant, a sharp-witted peasant, but already corrupted by the life of the capital, a lackey, repeating the master in everything.
Separately, there are images of the mayor's wife Anna Andreevna and daughter Marya Antonovna. The caustic and accurate portraits of a provincial lady and young lady show a sad picture of the vain limitations of their life, the scarcity of ideas, and moral narrowness. The plot role of these heroines is also great, because due to the absence of a real love conflict in the comedy, these images serve to create a parody - in the scenes of Khlestakov's alternating courtship of either his daughter or his mother. However, the mayor's family is still at the top of the social position in the city. Ladies of lower rank, such as Khlopov's wife or Korobkin's wife, are forced to be envious and gossiping.
The image of Khlestakov, of course, stands apart in comedy due to its plot and ideological role. Khlestakov is a pivotal figure in the plot, since without him the “mirage” situation would have been impossible. In addition, he not only passively takes the position of an imaginary auditor, but with incredible success plays along with the delusion of the townspeople, which, due to his stupidity, he does not even suspect. In ideological terms, Khlestakov serves as a kind of temptation for the city, because the most ridiculous ideas of the townspeople about St. Petersburg in the person of Khlestakov are fully confirmed. Therefore, the townspeople, primarily officials, behave openly and sink deeper and deeper into the quagmire of lawlessness and malevolence. Khlestakov does not deliberately deceive anyone, he is not at all capable of any deliberate action, because, in his own words, he has “unusual lightness in thoughts”, that is, emptiness. Khlestakov has nothing of his own, so he behaves like this and does what is expected of him. This is the reason for his inspired lies in the mayor's house. He was a kind of "scourge" for the townspeople, with which they whipped themselves.
Finally, the most important image of the comedy The Inspector General is the auditor himself, who unites the entire play. From the first phrase of the comedy, it appears as an assumption, an expectation, a certain idea, and must appear incognito. Then, instead of a real auditor, a deceit, a mirage, a "inspector" penetrates the city. At the beginning of the fifth act, the inspector seemingly disappears to appear in the last line of the comedy as a harsh reality, like the truth that struck the officials in a silent scene. In parallel with the image of the auditor, the image of St. Petersburg develops in the comedy. Petersburg first causes fear and absurd conjectures in officials, then it manifests itself as a mirage through the image of Khlestakov, and after Khlestakov's courtship to the mayor's daughter, it becomes unreasonably close to the residents of city N. At the end of the play, after the announcement of the arrival of a real auditor, the image of St. Petersburg becomes hostile and discouraging.
Let us listen to the remark of Gogol himself about another character in the comedy The Inspector General: “It is strange: I am sorry that no one noticed the honest face that was in my play. Yes, there was one honest, noble face that acted in it throughout its entire duration. That honest, noble face was laughter. There are no positive characters in comedy, laughter does not appear on the stage between the characters, it exists in the very atmosphere of comedy - laughter is born in the heart of the viewer and awakens noble indignation in him.
Gogol's play "The Inspector General" made a kind of revolution in Russian drama: in terms of composition and content. Its successful study in literature lessons in grade 8 will be helped by a detailed analysis of the work according to the plan that you will find in the article. The history of the comedy, its first production, the problems and artistic features of the play are discussed below. In The Inspector General, analysis involves knowledge of the historical and social conditions of the era being described. Gogol always believed in the future of Russia, so he tried to “heal” society with the help of art.
Brief analysis
Year of writing- 1835, the last edits to the play were made by N.V. Gogol in 1842 - this is the final version.
History of creation- the idea for a satirical play was presented to Gogol by A.S. Pushkin, who told the story of P.P.
Subject- the vices of society, bureaucracy and its lawlessness, hypocrisy, spiritual poverty, universal stupidity.
Composition- Ring structure, lack of exposition, "psychological" author's remarks.
Genre- a comedy of a socio-satirical orientation.
Direction- realism (typical, characteristic of the 19th century).
History of creation
In 1835, interrupting work on "Dead Souls", Nikolai Vasilyevich asked Pushkin for ideas for writing a satirical play that would ridicule social shortcomings, the life of higher ranks. Pushkin shares with Gogol the story of P. P. Svinin, which happened in Bessarabia. He also reports that once he himself found himself in a similar situation in Nizhny Novgorod, when he came to collect material about Pugachev. The situation is indeed comical: Gogol liked it, and during October-November 1835 he wrote a play.
During this period, similar themes appear in several writers of Gogol's contemporaries, it upsets him, he loses interest in the idea. In his letters to Pushkin, he talks about his desire to quit work, but Alexander Sergeevich convinces him not to stop, to finish his work. Finally, the comedy was read out by the author on a visit to V. Zhukovsky, where famous writers and writers gathered. Those present perceived it with enthusiasm, but the essence of the comedy eluded the audience, which upset the author.
The Inspector General was considered an ordinary classic play with typical characters and that stands out from its own kind only thanks to the author's sense of humor. The stage acquired the play far from immediately (the first production was in 1836 at the Alexandrinsky Theater), Zhukovsky himself persuaded the emperor to allow the production of the work, assuring him of the reliability of the plot and idea. The dramatic action itself made a double impression on the ruler, but he liked the play.
Subject
Gogol's realism placed a typical person in typical circumstances, but the result that the playwright wanted to achieve was to convey to the viewer something more than a play about vices. The author made several attempts in the hope of conveying the main idea of the play to the actors and directors, wrote accompanying comments and recommendations for the production. Gogol wanted to reveal the conflict as fully as possible: to emphasize the comic, the absurdity of the situation.
The main theme of the play- the problems and vices of society, the stupidity and hypocrisy of bureaucracy, showing the moral and spiritual side of the life of this estate. The language of comedy is sharp, satirical, caustic. Each character has his own unique speech style that characterizes and denounces him.
There are no positive characters among the heroes of the play, which is quite new for the genre and direction in which the author worked. plot engine is a banal fear - high-ranking checkers could decide the fate of anyone in such a way that he could lose his position in society and suffer serious punishment. Gogol wanted to reveal a huge layer of the vices of society, thereby curing him of them. The author planned to raise all the meanest, unfair and immoral things that are happening in modern society.
Idea, which is implemented by the author in the play - to show the lack of spirituality, vulgarity and baseness of the way of life of the Russian bureaucracy. What the work teaches is on the surface: you can stop the situation if everyone starts with themselves. It is strange that the author wanted an adequate perception of the play from the audience, who were in fact the prototypes of his characters.
Composition
A feature of the composition is that the play does not have an exposition, but begins with a plot. There is a ring structure in the work: it begins and ends with the message that “the auditor has arrived”. Khlestakov finds himself in the center of events quite by accident, for some time not understanding why he is received so well in the city. After that, he accepts the terms of the game, maintaining the role that has been imposed on him. For the first time in literature, the protagonist is a deceitful, unprincipled, low and disgustingly quirky character. The work is well perceived in the form of a play when reading thanks to the author's remarks and remarks that reveal the psychology of the characters, their inner world. Gogol created an amazing collection of images in one short play, many of which have become household names in literature.
Main characters
Genre
Gogol can be called the founder of the satirical dramatic genre in Russian literature. It was he who brought out the main patterns of comedy, which became classic. He introduced the “silent scene” technique into dramaturgy, when the characters are silent. It was Nikolai Vasilyevich who introduced the satirical technique of the grotesque into the comedy. The bureaucracy is depicted not just stupid, but monstrously limited. There is not a single neutral or positive character in the comedy; decisively all the characters are mired in vices and their own stupidity. The genre of the work - social satirical comedy in the spirit of realism.
Artwork test
Analysis Rating
Average rating: 4.4. Total ratings received: 2995.
"The Government Inspector" is a comedy that every schoolchild, as well as an adult, is familiar with. According to Gogol, he wanted to collect in this work "everything bad" that was happening in Russia at that time. The author wanted to show what kind of injustice reigns in those places where justice is most needed. The characterization of the characters will help to fully understand the theme of the comedy. The Inspector General is a comedy that showed the true face of bureaucracy in the early 19th century.
The main idea of the "Inspector". What did the author want to show?
It is the characterization of the characters that will help to understand the main idea and idea of the work. The Inspector General reflects the bureaucracy of that time, and each hero of the work helps the reader understand what the author wanted to say with this comedy.
It must be said that every action that takes place in the comedy reflects the entire administrative-bureaucratic system. The image of officials in the comedy "The Inspector General" clearly shows the readers of the 21st century the true face of the bureaucracy of that time. Gogol wanted to show what was always carefully hidden from society.
The history of the creation of the "Inspector"
It is known that Gogol began working on the play in 1835. There are several versions about what was the reason for writing the "Inspector". However, it is worth noting that the version that the plot of the future comedy was suggested to the author by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin is considered traditional. There is confirmation of this, which was found in the memoirs of Vladimir Sollogub. He wrote that Pushkin met Gogol, after which he told him about the incident that occurred in the city of Ustyuzhna: some passerby, an unknown gentleman, robbed all the inhabitants, posing as a ministry official.
Pushkin's participation in the creation of comedy
There is another version, also based on the words of Sollogub, which suggests that Pushkin himself was once mistaken for an official when he was in Nizhny Novgorod in order to collect materials about the Pugachev rebellion.
While writing the play, Gogol communicated with Pushkin and informed him about the progress of work on The Inspector General. It is worth noting that the author several times tried to quit working on the comedy, and it was Alexander Sergeevich who insisted that Gogol finish the work.
The image of officials in the comedy "The Government Inspector" reflects the bureaucracy of that time. It is worth saying that the story underlying the work reveals the whole essence of the administrative-bureaucratic system of Russia at the beginning of the 19th century.
The image of the main characters in the comedy "The Government Inspector". Table of officials
In order to understand the main idea and theme of the work, it is necessary to understand the images of the main characters in the comedy. All of them reflect the bureaucracy of that time and show the reader what injustice reigned where justice should have been first of all.
The main characters of the comedy "The Government Inspector". Table of officials. A brief description of.
| Official's name | Brief description of the official |
Governor Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky | Head of the county town. This person always takes bribes and doesn't think it's wrong. The mayor is sure that "everyone takes bribes, and the higher the rank, the greater the bribe." Anton Antonovich is not afraid of the auditor, but he is worried that he does not know who will carry out the check in his city. It should be noted that the mayor is a self-confident, arrogant and dishonest person. For him there are no such concepts as "justice" and "honesty". He is sure that bribes are not a crime. |
Ammos Fedorovich Lyapkin-Tyapkin | Judge. He considers himself quite an intelligent person, because he has read about five or six books in his life. It is worth noting that all the criminal cases that he handled are not in the best condition: sometimes even he himself cannot figure out and understand where the truth is and where it is not. |
Artemy Filippovich Strawberry | Artemy is a trustee of charitable institutions. It must be said that only filth reigns in hospitals, as well as a terrible mess. The sick walk around in dirty clothes, which makes it look like they were just at work in the forge, and cooks cook in dirty hats. In addition to all the negative aspects, it must be added that patients constantly smoke. Strawberry is sure that you should not burden yourself with finding out the diagnosis of the disease of your patients, because "a simple person: if he dies, then he will die anyway, if he recovers, then he will recover anyway." From his words, we can conclude that Artemy Filippovich does not care at all about the health of patients. |
Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin | |
Luka Lukich Khlopov | Luka Lukic is the caretaker of the schools. It is worth noting that he is a very cowardly person. |
The image of officials in the comedy "The Government Inspector" shows what kind of injustice prevailed at that time. It would seem that there should be justice and honesty in courts, hospitals and other institutions, but the images of officials in Gogol's work clearly show that at the beginning of the 19th century things were completely different throughout Russia.
The main idea of the comedy "The Government Inspector". Theme of the work
Gogol said that in his work he wanted to collect all the "stupidity" that was observed at that time. The theme of the play is to ridicule human vices: hypocrisy, fraud, self-interest, etc. The image of officials in the comedy "The Government Inspector" is a reflection of the true essence of officials. The author of the work wanted to convey that they were unfair, dishonest and stupid. The bureaucracy had absolutely nothing to do with ordinary people.
The comedy of the "Inspector"
The comicality of the work lies in the fact that instead of the auditor, whom everyone in the city was afraid of, an ordinary person arrived who deceived all the officials.
The Inspector General is a comedy that shows the true face of Russian officials in the early 19th century. The author wanted to show that they were so unfair, miserable and stupid that they could not distinguish an ordinary person from a real auditor.
Gogol's famous comedy appeared before the Petersburg audience in 1836. The characterization of the characters, their negativity and the absence of the expected conflict caused a stunning result and the surprise of the public in The Inspector General. The idea thrown by Pushkin, in Gogol, has grown into a whole laughable canvas, designed to show the stupidity, vulgarity, dishonesty of the Russian bureaucracy, its complete failure to fulfill its duties and constitute a genuine human society.
The specifics of Gogol's main characters
In the comedy The Inspector General, the characters evoke both laughter and dreary horror, because none of them stands out with a bright positive trait, no one has either a bright mind or an honest soul.
This was one of the reasons why the writer was completely misunderstood by his contemporaries and was completely exhausted trying to explain the idea of the comedy, in particular, that laughter in comedy is the only positive character. The spectator, however, considered himself deceived: there was no traditional love conflict, no exposure and public censure of evil - none of this happened. Of course, even then it was clear that absolutely all the characters of The Inspector General are a negative and rather pathetic sight, but it was surprising that the author did not want to balance them with anyone. However, it was part of the writer's intent. In The Inspector General, the characterization of the main characters, which the viewer involuntarily gave them when viewing, should have led him to the idea of dominance, advancing the comic principle, renewing and life-giving.
Gogol's non-heroes and their insignificance
The list of heroes of Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General" opens the main one - brilliant in every sense Khlestakov: an empty, meaningless person, a delightful braggart and an ignoramus. His appearance only reveals the ulcers of the province where he ended up - everyone is ready to be deceived, to kowtow before the capital's dandy, who had no intention of fooling anyone. Khlestakov lies quite sincerely, carried away, experiencing ecstatic pleasure from his unthinkable lies about high rank and square watermelons worth a thousand rubles. Khlestakov's simultaneous courtship of Anna Andreevna, the mayor's wife, and Marya Antonovna, his daughter, take on the appearance of some kind of incomprehensible farce. Khlestakov easily copes with the role of a high-ranking inspector imposed on him from the outside, as he would have coped with any other - the void without questions is equally filled with both good and bad. Among the descriptions of the heroes of the comedy "The Government Inspector" there are actually author's ones, among them there is one related to Khlestakov: "this is a phantasmagoric face that, like a false personified deception, has gone along with the troika God knows where."
Governor Anton Antonovich Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky also a rather colorful personality, and not so much in terms of emptiness and ignorance, but in terms of irresponsibility. He feels himself in it, like a fish in water, until the threat of a capital audit overturns the mayor into reality. Anton Antonovich quickly learns to outwardly plug the holes of his not very prosperous administration, throw dust in his eyes and do every minute mental operations about the amount of bribes. For a mayor, the most natural behavior in a catastrophe situation is to give out white caps to the hungry sick, to slander the officer’s unfortunate, illegally flogged wife, to come up with a sudden arson of the church in order to hide the fact of its non-erection. He readily takes the empty Khlestakov for an auditor, since an unclean conscience and a desire to hide the consequences of his actions blinded him, depriving him of the ability to think sensibly.
Impeccably, though not flatteringly depicted in the comedy gentle provincial noblewomen - Anna Andreevna And Maria Antonovna. Pretentiousness, causeless coquetry, standing by the window, the multiplication of gossip and disputes about the fawn dress - this is how Gogol draws a beautiful and noble part of the city. They both take Khlestakov's courtship at face value and compete for his favor, as a guarantee of their irresistibility.
With no less skill, the writer shows the gentlemen Bobchinsky And Dobchinsky, which no one puts in anything, and the more, the more they fawn and buffoon. They are the city's gossips and peddlers of all sorts of news, so everyone treats them with contemptuous condescension.
Looks amazingly funny postmaster Shpekin, Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin and trustee of charitable institutions strawberries. The first draws inspiration and discovers whole worlds in the process of reading other people's letters, and therefore does not feel any remorse about the immorality of his deeds. Nor does Lyapkin-Tyapkin, who likes to take purebred puppies as a “thank you” and is quite sure that he is not a bribe taker, either. Although he carries thoughtful nonsense, he was known in society as a freethinker for the feat of reading several books. The trustee of charitable institutions is generous with servility and flattery, which will gush out of him with an inexhaustible stream of eloquence, especially in the direction of Khlestakov.
According to Gogol, he himself wanted to collect everything bad in Russia and laugh at everyone at once, and he succeeded to the highest degree.
The characteristics of the main characters will help students in grade 8 when collecting material for a message or essay on the topic “Characteristics of the heroes of the Inspector General”.
Artwork test
Consider the famous play, which Nikolai Vasilyevich created in 1836, we will analyze it. (work) appreciated as the accumulation of all the injustices that were constantly happening in places, especially at a time when justice was urgently needed. The author described all the bad things that he observed in society (in the bureaucratic sphere) and laughed at it. In addition to laughter, however, the reader also sees that Gogol (The Inspector General) bitterly describes the events taking place.
Let's start our analysis of the play by pointing out the main conflict.
Conflict in the play
The construction of the conflict of this work is based on a funny coincidence. It is accompanied by the panic of officials who are afraid that their scams may be exposed. The city will soon visit the auditor, so the best option for them is to identify and bribe this person. The action of the work revolves around deceit, which is so familiar to officials, as analysis shows.
Gogol created "The Inspector General" in order to reveal the vices of those in power, typical of that time. The main conflict in the work is between the bureaucratic world, which embodies the autocratic system, and the people oppressed by it. The hostility of officials to the masses of the people is felt from the very first lines. The people are subjected to violence and oppressed, although this conflict was not directly shown in the comedy by Gogol ("The Government Inspector"). The analysis of it develops latently. In the play, this conflict is complicated by another one - between the "auditor" and the bureaucracy. The disclosure of this conflict allowed Gogol to sharply expose and vividly describe both the representatives of the local district authorities and the petty metropolitan official who came to the city, and also to show at the same time their anti-people nature.
Bribery and corruption in the work
All the heroes of comedy have their sins, as its analysis allows us to verify. Gogol ("Inspector") notes that each of them, due to the unfair performance of their official duties, is afraid of the upcoming arrival of the auditor. Officials from fear are not able to reason sensibly. They believe that it is the self-confident and arrogant Khlestakov who is the auditor. A progressive dangerous disease - a lie - is demonstrated by Gogol ("The Government Inspector"). cannot be carried out without focusing on this characteristic feature of it.
The author ironically and accurately denounces the issue of bribes. Blame for bribery and corruption, in his opinion, lies on both sides. However, this is so habitual for society that when officials mention money by an imaginary auditor, they sigh with relief: he can be bribed, which means that everything will be settled. Bribery is thus taken for granted and natural. The absence of positive officials in a play is very familiar to readers of any time. After all, "auditorism" in Russia has not yet stopped, despite all the upheavals.
Many visitors are rushing to Khlestakov with requests. There are so many of them that they have to fight their way through the windows. Requests and complaints are doomed to go unanswered. Officials, in turn, are not embarrassed by the need to humiliate themselves. Before the authorities, they are ready to fawn, because retribution will begin with his departure - they can recoup their subordinates, humiliating them. Society is destroyed by low morality, says Gogol ("Inspector"). An analysis of the work allows us to note that in the play she accompanies anyone who has achieved at least some kind of power.
Stupidity and ignorance of officials
Khlestakov understands that the officials who met him are not educated and stupid. This allows the protagonist of the play not even bother to remember the lies he told. Officials always echo him, presenting Khlestakov's deceit in a truthful form. This is beneficial to everyone, no one is embarrassed by lies. The main thing is that Khlestakov can get money, and officials can take a breath.
The breadth of generalizations of characters, off-stage images
The play, which was created by N.V. Gogol ("The Government Inspector"), begins with a letter notifying about the upcoming inspection. Analyzing it, it can be noted that it also ends with it. The finale of the work becomes laconic - Khlestakov's letter reveals the truth. It remains only to wait for the real auditor. At the same time, there is no doubt that the officials will once again repeat the flattering bribery. The change of characters will not affect the outcome - immorality has reached that point. Officials will be replaced over time by their own kind, since the corruption of a person comes from personal uncontrollability, and not from power.
Analyzing Gogol's comedy "The Inspector General", we note that the breadth of the generalization of characters in the play is expressed in the fine finishing of the characters acting in the comedy. In addition, the introduction of off-stage images expands the gallery of actors. These are vivid life characters that contribute to the deepening of the characteristics of the faces displayed on the stage. For example, this is Khlestakov’s father, his St. Petersburg friend Tryapichkin, the housekeeper Avdotya, the son and wife of Dobchinsky, the innkeeper Vlas, the daughter of Strawberry, an infantry captain who beat Khlestakov in Penza, the visiting auditor, quarter Prokhorov and others.
Life phenomena typical for Nikolaev Russia
Various life phenomena are mentioned in the comedy, which were typical for Nikolaev Russia of that time. This creates a broad panorama of society. So, the merchant profits from the construction of the bridge, and the mayor helps him in this. The judge has been sitting on the judicial chair for 15 years, but still cannot figure out the next memorandum. The mayor celebrates name days twice a year, expecting gifts for them from merchants. The postmaster opens other people's letters. The county doctor does not speak Russian.
Abuses of officials
A lot of abuses of officials are mentioned in the comedy. All of them were characteristic of the era of cruel arbitrariness. A married locksmith had his forehead shaved illegally. The non-commissioned officer's wife was flogged. The prisoners are not given provisions. The amount allocated for the construction of a charitable institution of the church is spent at their own discretion, and the report says that the church burned down. The mayor locks the merchant in a room and forces him to eat herring. The patients have dirty caps, giving them a resemblance to blacksmiths.
Lack of a good character
It should be noted that readers learn about the criminal acts committed by officials from their own lips, and not from the actions shown on the stage of the work "The Government Inspector" (Gogol). Character analysis reveals some other interesting features. Confirmation of the fact that illegal acts are happening in the bureaucratic world are the complaints of people oppressed by officials, especially the mayor. The center of gravity is transferred to socio-political phenomena. Gogol did not introduce into his play a positive hero, a reasoner and a bearer of virtuous qualities, who is the mouthpiece of the author's thoughts. The most positive hero is laughter, which reeks of social vices and the foundations of the autocratic regime.
The image of Khlestakov
The image of Khlestakov is central in the work. Let's analyze it. Gogol portrayed the "auditor" as easily navigating the situation. For example, wanting to show off in front of his bride, Marya Antonovna, he attributes to himself the work "Yuri Miloslavsky" by Zagoskin, but the girl remembers its true author. A seemingly hopeless situation has arisen. However, Khlestakov quickly finds a way out here too. He says that there is another work with the same title that belongs to him.
Lack of memory
Lack of memory is an important feature of Khlestakov's image. For him there is no future and no past. He is focused only on the present. Khlestakov is therefore incapable of selfish and greedy calculations. The hero lives for only one minute. Its natural state is constant transformation. After conducting an effective analysis of Gogol's "Inspector General", you will see that Khlestakov, adopting one or another style of behavior, instantly reaches the highest point in it. However, what is easily gained is easily lost. Having fallen asleep as a field marshal or commander in chief, he wakes up as an insignificant person.
Khlestakov's speech
The speech of this hero characterizes him as a petty Petersburg official who claims to be highly educated. He likes to use intricate literary clichés for the beauty of the syllable. In his language, at the same time, there are vulgar and swear words, especially in relation to commoners. Khlestakov Osip, his servant, calls "fool" and "cattle", and shouts to the owner of the tavern "scoundrels!", "Rascals!", "Loafers!". The speech of this hero is jerky, which indicates his inability to focus on anything. She conveys his spiritual poverty.
The two centers of the piece
Khlestakov in the work is a drawn person. He acts and lives according to the logic of the development of relations in which the mayor put him. At the same time, the surprises manifested in the actions and speeches of this hero also determine the development of the action of the play. This, for example, is the "scene of lies", Khlestakov's explanation of the love of his daughter and mother at the same time, his proposal to Marya Antonovna, his irrevocable and unexpected departure. In Gogol's play there are two centers and two persons who direct and lead the development of the action: Khlestakov and the mayor. Let's continue the analysis of the play "Inspector General" by Gogol with a characterization of the image of the latter.
The image of the mayor
The mayor (Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky Anton Antonovich) - in which the action of the comedy we are interested in takes place. This is a "very intelligent", "aged in the service" person. His facial features are hard and rude, like those of anyone who has begun a hard service from the lower ranks. The mayor at the beginning of the play reads the letter to his subordinates. It informs about the arrival of the auditor. This news greatly frightened the officials. In fear, the mayor orders the city to be “equipped” for his arrival (to expel unnecessary patients from the hospital, to bring teachers in schools into proper form, to cover unfinished buildings with fences, etc.).
Anton Antonovich assumes that the auditor has already arrived and lives incognito somewhere. The landowners Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky find him in the person of Khlestakov, a petty official who does not suspect anything. The mayor, believing that Khlestakov is the same auditor, cannot dissuade himself from this. He believes in everything, even in the fantastic lies of the "auditor" - to such an extent is servility in the mayor.
When Khlestakov wooed his daughter, Marya Antonovna, the official began to think about what benefits his relationship with an "important person" promised him, and decided that "it's nice to be a general." To the depths of the soul, the unexpected revelation of Khlestakov offends the mayor. It finally dawns on him that he mistook the "rag", "icicle" for an important person. The mayor, having experienced a humiliating shock, spiritually begins to see clearly, for the first time in his life. He says that for the first time he sees "pig snouts" instead of faces.
Completing the analysis of the comedy N.V. Gogol's "Inspector General", we add that his comic figure in the finale of the comedy develops into a tragic one. The tragedy becomes most obvious in the silent scene, when it becomes known about the arrival of the real auditor.
