Dead SoulsA few factual points ought to be explained to the reader, even though the novel itself eventually suffices to clarify some of them. First, the title of the book. Among Russian serf-owning gentry, the idiomatic way to assess someone's wealth was to express it in terms of the number of "souls" he owned--that is, male, adult serfs. Taxes on serfs had to be paid by the owner until the next census or registration date even if they may have died in the meantime. Gogol's "dead souls," in addition to this literal reference to serfs who had died since the last registration date for serfs, are also a metaphor for the dead moral and spiritual sensibilities of the many inhabitants of Gogol's zoo. This title ran into trouble with Gogol's censors, who held the ridiculous suspicion that the title might be a blasphemous attack on the immortality of the human soul. Gogol therefore added the title "Chichikov's Adventures." |
Contents
Section 1 | 1 |
Section 2 | 8 |
Section 3 | 16 |
Section 4 | 31 |
Section 5 | 35 |
Section 6 | 39 |
Section 7 | 42 |
Section 8 | 59 |
Section 14 | 167 |
Section 15 | 184 |
Section 16 | 187 |
Section 17 | 193 |
Section 18 | 221 |
Section 19 | 263 |
Section 20 | 285 |
Section 21 | 306 |
Section 9 | 66 |
Section 10 | 102 |
Section 11 | 121 |
Section 12 | 146 |
Section 13 | 147 |
Section 22 | 345 |
Section 23 | 356 |
Section 24 | 423 |
Section 25 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Afanasy Vassilievich affair already Anna Grigorievna asked began bogatyr boots brother carriage chaise Chichi Chichikov exclaimed Chichikov replied Chichikov thought coachman coat dead souls deeds of purchase devil door dress droshky enquired everything Excellency eyes face father feel Fenya fool give Gogol governor's guest hand head heard heart hero horses hundred hurdy-gurdy Khlobuyev Konstantin Feodorovich kopecks Kopeynik Korobochka Kostanzhonglo kulak landowner living look Manilov master Moscow Mourazov never nose Nozdrev officials once Pavel Ivanovich peasants Petersburg Petrushka Platonov Plyushkin police Porphyry prince pulled reader respect rogue round Russian samovar seemed Selifan serfs servants side sitting Sobakievich soon sort stared strange suddenly talk tell Tentetnikov Themistoclous thing thousand roubles took town turned village visitor whole wife window woman wooden word