Served Gogol Khlestakov. A brief image of Khlestakov in the comedy "The Government Inspector": a man without moral principles. Service attitude

Who is Khlestakov

The Inspector General is one of the first theatrical plays written by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. One of the central characters of the work is Khlestakov, a young man who found himself in the city of N on his way from St. Petersburg to the village to his father.

A brief description of Khlestakov from Gogol's The Inspector General can be made up of just two words: frivolous and irresponsible. All the money that his father sent him, he lost, lost in cards. In the tavern where Khlestakov lives with his servant Osip, he owes money for housing and food. Moreover, he is indignant that they do not want to feed him for free, as if everyone around him is obliged to support him.

As Gogol writes in brief description in "Remarks for gentlemen of the actors", Khlestakov is the most empty person.

The role of Khlestakov in the play

In the course of the play, Khlestakov finds himself in a situation where he is mistaken for an inspector. Khlestakov was frightened at first, thinking that the mayor was going to put him in jail, but then, quickly orienting himself, used the situation to his advantage. Realizing that nothing threatens him so far and using the servility of the mayor and other characters, Khlestakov fishes out money from them and hides in an unknown direction. Without knowing it, Khlestakov plays the role of a scalpel that opened an abscess on the patient's body. All the dirty deeds that the officials in the city of N are doing suddenly come out. People who consider themselves the “elite” of the city begin to pour mud on each other. Although before the scene where everyone is bringing offerings to Khlestakov, everyone smiled sweetly and pretended that everything was fine.

Surname Khlestakov and his role in the play - is there a connection?

The surname Khlestakov is well suited to his role in the play, because with his deceit he seemed to “whip” all the characters on the cheeks. It is difficult to say whether Gogol connected Khlestakov's character in the comedy The Inspector General with his last name. But the meaning is very similar to this. Moreover, Khlestakov simply assumed the role imposed on him by those around him, and took the opportunity.

Khlestakov's relationship with the characters of the play

Depending on who he was with and under what circumstances, his attitude towards the heroes also changed. For example, with Osip Khlestakov - a gentleman, capricious, a little rude, behaves like a little unreasonable child. Although he scolds him at times, Khlestakov nevertheless listens to his opinion, it is thanks to the cunning and caution of the servant that Khlestakov manages to leave before being exposed.

With women, Khlestakov is a dandy from the capital, whispering compliments to any lady, regardless of age.

With Gorodnichiy and city officials - at first frightened, and then insolent visiting liar, pretending to be an important bird.

Khlestakov easily adapts to any situation and finds benefits for himself, as a result, getting "dry out of the water."

Khlestakov and modernity

The plot of the play surprisingly resonates with today. And now you can meet the servility described in the work. And the characterization of Khlestakov in the comedy "The Inspector General" is quite suitable for many people. After all, it often happens when a person, trying to appear more significant, boasts of acquaintances with celebrities or, adapting to the situation, lies and dodges.

Gogol seems to describe the events taking place at the present time. But when he wrote The Inspector General he was only twenty-seven years old. And this once again confirms that genius does not depend on age.

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We are already accustomed to the fact that, basically, life presents us with surprises in the form of troubles and difficulties. Perhaps that is why stories with a reverse course of circumstances are perceived by us as something out of the ordinary. Such situations seem somewhat ironic. The story told in Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol's story "The Inspector General", in addition to being a gift of fate in its essence, is also based on a share of absurdity. This combination makes the work unique and attractive.

Biography of Khlestakov

Naturally, when reading a work, we first of all pay attention to the main character. So, Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov is a young landowner, a nobleman who once got into an awkward situation.

He happened to seriously lose at cards. In order to improve his situation a little, he goes to his parents in the estate.

Since his journey is long, he, despite the lack of finances, stops at a hotel in the city of N. Here, luck smiles at him.

He is mistaken for the long-awaited auditor from Moscow. The impudent behavior and demeanor in society leave no doubt to officials - in their opinion, only the auditor can behave like this.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the story of the same name by N.V. Gogol

Since things were not ideal in the city of N., and officials continually retreated from their duties, of course, not in favor of the inhabitants of the city, but in favor of their own pockets, it is impossible to honestly avoid the problems associated with checking their work. None of them wants to lose their hot spot, so all as one they go to Khlestakov and give him bribes - a guarantee that they will remain in office and avoid problems.

At first, Khlestakov was at a loss, but then decided to take full advantage of the situation. With money in his pocket, he successfully retreated from the city. The news about his fictitiousness as an auditor became known too late - blaming Khlestakov and demanding a return of money from him is a stupid thing to do. In this case, it would be necessary to admit the fact of bribery, and this would be the collapse of the career of officials.

Khlestakov's appearance

Like most rogues and scoundrels, Khlestakov has pleasant, trusting facial features. He has brown hair, a "cute nose" and quick eyes that make even determined people feel embarrassed. He is not tall. His complexion is far from graceful and physically developed young men - he is unnecessarily thin.

Such physical data significantly spoil the impression made by him. But the cunning Khlestakov finds a clever way to remedy the situation - an expensive and well-groomed suit.

Ivan Alexandrovich understands that the first impression of him is always formed based on his appearance, therefore, cannot afford to make a mistake here - clothes made of expensive fabric, sewn based on fashion trends. Always cleaned to a shine - such external factor significantly distracts the attention of society from the inner essence of man.

Khlestakov family, education

How did you have to look and how to behave in order to pass for an auditor in the first half of the 19th century?

First of all, one had to be born an aristocrat. It is extremely difficult for a person of common origin to create the appearance of belonging to high society.

The manner of speaking, the plasticity of movements, gesticulation - this had to be learned for many years. For people of noble origin, this style was commonplace, they adopted it from their parents, their friends who came to visit.

Ivan Alexandrovich was not a luminary high society, but still was a nobleman by birth. His parents own the Podkatilovka estate. Little is known about the state of affairs and the importance of the estate - the fact that the parents sent money to their son says that the estate was not unprofitable, it brought in enough income to provide the life of the whole family with at least the most necessary things.

Nothing is known about Khlestakov's education. It is likely that he received an "average" quality education. Such a conclusion can be drawn based on the position he occupies. Khlestakov works as a collegiate registrar. This type of civil service was at the very end of the list of the Table of Ranks. If Khlestakov's parents were wealthy people, they would be able to provide their son with a better position with the help of connections or money. Since this did not happen, it is inappropriate to talk about the large income of the family or their importance against the backdrop of the aristocracy.

Now let's summarize all the data: financial instability has always been inherent in the Khlestakovs, their income has never been high (if they were ever rich, they could make connections or acquaintances during the period of the material take-off of their family), which means sending their son to study abroad or they had no money to hire highly qualified teachers for him.

Service attitude

The exact age of Khlestakov is not specified. Gogol limits him to 23-24 years old. Basically, people of this age are full of enthusiasm and desire to realize themselves. But this is not Khlestakov's case. Ivan Alexandrovich is rather frivolous about his work, he is not very interested in promotions and the possibility of career growth. His work is not difficult and consists in rewriting papers, but he is too lazy to be zealous in the affairs of service to Khlestakov. Instead of working, he goes for a walk or plays cards.

Such carelessness of his is connected, first of all, with the fact that Khlestakov does not suffer from a lack of money. Yes, he lives in a poor apartment, which is located on the fourth floor, but, apparently, this state of affairs does not bother Ivan Alexandrovich. It is likely that he is not used to living in luxurious apartments and therefore does not seek to improve the current housing situation. For Khlestakov, the values ​​of life lie in other things - leisure and clothing. But the situation changes dramatically when Khlestakov needs to stay in an unfamiliar city - here he only stays in the best apartments. It is likely that such a move is connected with Khlestakov's desire to create the impression of a person so rich that all those around him, who do not know the real state of affairs, begin to envy him. It is possible that the calculation is not only on the feeling of envy, with the help of which Ivan Aleksandrovich asserts himself, but also on the opportunity to receive some bonuses from local officials or the owner of the hotel.

To this fact is added the fact that Khlestakov is not able to compete with the rich people of St. Petersburg, where he lives most of the time and works. Renting cheap housing allows him to save money on those things that would distinguish him from the same condition as he is - on the attributes of appearance. After all, he does not have to invite everyone to his house or spread unnecessarily about the location of his housing, but the condition and cheapness of the suit can give him a bad reputation. Since life for show is important for Khlestakov, in the manner of very wealthy aristocrats, he has no choice but to save on permanent housing.

Ivan Alexandrovich's parents are discouraged by the lack of promotion of their son in the service. From the looks of it, they were making a big bet on his abilities. The father periodically expresses his indignation on this score, but the son always finds an excuse - not all at once. You have to earn a promotion for a long time. In fact, such an excuse is a lie that allows you to hide the true state of things.

Life in Petersburg

Ivan Alexandrovich cannot imagine his life without Petersburg. It is in this place that everything that is so dear to his heart is collected - the opportunity to spend time in various pleasures. He willingly goes to the theater every day, does not deny himself the pleasure of playing cards. By the way, he finds those who want to play always and everywhere, but not everyone and not always Khlestakov manages to win - staying with his nose is a common thing for him.

Ivan Alexandrovich loves gourmet cuisine and does not deny himself the pleasure of a tasty and satisfying meal.

Personality characteristic

First of all, Khlestakov stands out in society for his ability to lie beautifully and smoothly - for a person who prefers to live with the illusion of wealth, to create the appearance significant person, is a necessity.

Ivan Alexandrovich is aware of his gaps in knowledge, but is in no hurry to eradicate them - the fictitious success created by his lies, arrogant and pompous appearance inspire him.

Nevertheless, from time to time he reads books and even tries to write something on his own, but judging by the fact that there are no reviews of his work from other characters, we can conclude that these attempts were unsuccessful.

Khlestakov loves to be praised and admired, this is another reason to invent something about his life. He loves to be in the center of attention - it is difficult to achieve such success in St. Petersburg, but in the provinces, where even his manner of speaking in a metropolitan manner causes a storm of positive emotions - this is an easy thing.

Khlestakov is not distinguished by courage, he is not ready to answer for his actions. When officials come to his hotel room, his heart is filled with fear of the possibility of being arrested. At its core, he is a rag, but a good actor - he knows how to create the appearance of a significant and very smart person, although in fact neither the first nor the second corresponds to the true state of things.

Khlestakov's attitude towards women

Gogol is silent about Khlestakov's relationship with women in St. Petersburg, but actively paints Ivan Alexandrovich's behavior with female representatives in the province.

Khlestakov knows how to play in public and evoke a feeling of sympathy in people - this applies not only to indicators of good breeding and ostentatious aristocracy. Khlestakov is a skilled seducer and seducer. He enjoys the company of women and their attention.

It is unlikely that he sets himself the goal of getting a wife. For Khlestakov, love interests are a peculiar way of playing, manipulating people.

Arriving in the city of N and meeting the wife and daughter of the governor, he does not miss the opportunity to flirt with both women. First, he confesses his daughter's love, but after a couple of minutes he swears his mother's love. Khlestakov is not at all embarrassed by this fact. In addition, when Marya Antonovna (the governor's daughter) becomes an accidental witness to Khlestakov's tenderness towards her mother, Ivan Alexandrovich, taking advantage of the stupidity of women and their feeling of love towards him, turns the whole situation in favor of a wedding with Marya Antonovna - at the same time neither mother nor daughter understand their humiliating position and do not feel offended. Leaving the city, Khlestakov realizes that his matchmaking was a game only for him, everyone else, including Marya Antonovna, takes everything at face value. He is not worried about the further fate of the young girl and the possibility of injuring her with his act - he leaves the city with a calm soul.

Thus, Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov is a typical scoundrel, capable of bringing grief and trouble to other people for his own pleasure. He does not appreciate the care of himself on the part of his parents and is in no hurry to answer those around him for the kindness done to him in the same way. Most likely, on the contrary, he deftly uses the gullibility and innocence of those around him.

Characteristics of the image of Khlestakov in quotes

Gogol's character appears as the central character of the famous Gogol's text. Moreover, Khlestakov has already become a household name, because the "father" of the character - Nikolai Gogol - managed to create one of the most successful, vivid and capacious literary types. Here, for example, is how Khlestakov's creator describes him:

Khlestakov, a young man of about twenty-three, thin, thin; somewhat stupid and, as they say, without a king in his head - one of those people who are called empty in the offices. He speaks and acts without any thought. He is unable to stop the constant focus on any thought. His speech is abrupt, and words fly out of his mouth quite unexpectedly. The more the one who plays this role will show sincerity and simplicity, the more he will win. Dressed in fashion...

Remarque about the place of Khlestakov's image in the plot of Gogol's text
The hero finds himself in one of the small, provincial towns Russian Empire by chance. And just as accidentally, Khlestakov generates a whirlwind of errors around him. The man constantly stumbles and stumbles. However, at first, events are developing successfully for Khlestakov. The arrival of the hero almost coincides with the arrival in the city of the auditor - a strict Russian official who intended to check the affairs in the town. And so: the inhabitants of the city are waiting for the arrival of an official, and they take our hero for him.

Khlestakov manages to successfully mimic the guise of an auditor. Over time, Gogol's hero reveals his true essence. Our hero is a rake and a gambler, a spender of parental money. A man loves women's society, craves power, influence and money. To the inferior, serfs, servants Khlestakov is emphatically dismissive. The hero calls the peasants scoundrels, swindlers, loafers and fools. The faithful servant of Khlestakov also gets it.

At the same time, Khlestakov seems to be very naive. Money is brought to the hero as a bribe, meanwhile, the man perceives these “offerings” as a loan, exclaiming:

Give me, give me a loan, I will immediately pay off the innkeeper ...

How to evaluate the image of Khlestakov?

Of course, literary scholars were puzzled by how to correctly assess the image of Khlestakov - in a positive or negative way. No, Gogol did not intend to present his character as an evil bandit, swindler, cunning intriguer or rogue. Moreover, there is so little cunning in our hero that Osip, the hero's servant, sometimes shows much more wisdom in his actions than his master.

Khlestakov is a victim of circumstances, a cycle of random events. The hero evokes universal sympathy, because the image of Khlestakov is characterized by such features as good looks, courtesy, charm (especially everyone is fascinated by the smile of a man), as well as good manners. The hero belonged to an aristocratic family, but showed the same inability to live, where he had to earn his living on his own, like all nobles. The man's soul longed for Petersburg life.

Gogol evaluates Khlestakov as neutrally as possible. The writer presents the hero as a young man about "twenty-three to twenty-four years old". The hero was distinguished by cuteness and thinness, the hero’s posture is beautiful, thin, slender. However, the young man was "somewhat stupid and, as they say - without a king in his head - one of those people who are called empty in the offices."

"Hero's Passport", according to Gogol's text

1. Completely Gogol's hero was called Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov. The mayor emphasizes the “plainness”, that is, the smallness, short stature of the hero, who did not at all resemble a powerful auditor. However, the very appearance of Khlestakov is “not bad”, the young man is clearly of interest to the ladies, the favor of mature beauties and young girls.

2. Before the hero arrived in the provincial regions, Khlestakov served in the St. Petersburg office with the rank of collegiate registrar. This is the lowest rank, according to the Russian Table of Ranks:

It would really be good to be something worthwhile, otherwise it’s a simple elistratishka! ..

However, in the Saratov region, Khlestakov had his own village, which was called Podkatilovka. Gogol's hero was heading there, until, due to a combination of circumstances, he drove into the city of N. In St. Petersburg, Khlestakov occupies a small apartment located on the top floor. Verkhotury was then occupied by people who did not show off a tight wallet:

... As you run up the stairs to your fourth floor ...

3. The hero's heart did not seem to lie in the service. Therefore, instead of regular and honest work, the young man spends his life in entertainment establishments:

... is not engaged in business: instead of taking office, and he goes for a walk along the avenue, he plays cards<…>“No, my father wants me. The old man was angry that he had not served anything in Petersburg until now. He thinks that he has come and now Vladimir is in your buttonhole and they will give you ... "

So, the Russian writer emphasizes that Khlestakov loved to lead a secluded lifestyle, indulge in various pleasures, spend money on trifles and amusements. Saving Khlestakov was not given in any way, so the hero periodically found himself completely “stranded” and begged for money from his parental savings:

“Profinted expensive money, my dear, now he sits and twisted his tail, and does not get excited. And it would be, and it would be very much for runs; no, you see, you need to show yourself in every city! .. "<…>“... Batiushka will send money to hold it back - and where! .. went on a spree: he rides a cab, every day you get a ticket to the keyatre, and there, in a week, lo and behold, he sends a new tailcoat to the flea market to sell ... "

4. Khlestakov is characterized by a love of luxury. Therefore, the hero does not deny himself anything, lives beyond his means, buys the most expensive things, prefers delicious kitchen delights, theatrical performances, gambling, in which he lost more often than he won:

“And I, I confess, do not like death to deny myself the road, and why? Is not it?.."<…>“... Hey, Osip, go look at the room, the best one, and ask for the best dinner: I can’t eat a bad dinner, I need a better dinner ...”<…>"I like to eat. After all, you live for picking flowers of pleasure.<…>"I - I confess, this is my weakness - I love good food"<…>“Tell me, please, do you have any entertainment, societies where you could, for example, play cards? ..”<…>“…sometimes it’s very tempting to play…”<…>“... He gets acquainted with a passer-by, and then in cards - so you finished your game! ..”<…>“Yes, if I hadn’t drank in Penza, it would have been money to get home. The infantry captain greatly taunted me: shtoss surprisingly, a beast, cuts off. I just sat there for a quarter of an hour and robbed everything. And with all that fear, I would like to fight him again. The case just did not lead ... "

5. Khlestakov is prone to lies. The drama of the character is that the hero sometimes invents an alternative reality that he believes in. For example, according to the pseudo-auditor, he loves writing, writes literary texts, publishing stories and articles of his own production in magazines. Khlestakov, as the hero says, often reads books. However, even the reader develops sympathy for the negligent Gogol character, yet Khlestakov is a swindler. Let the fraudulent nature of Gogol's character be of an accidental nature, yet Gogol does not justify Khlestakov, but portrays the image of a young man objectively.

Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov is an ambiguous and controversial personality. The author himself mentioned this more than once. Khlestakov can hardly be called a swindler and adventurer, because he does not pretend to be a "significant person" consciously, but only takes advantage of the circumstances. But the adventurous vein and the tendency to cheat in the hero are present. An honest person would immediately disprove the erroneous opinions of others and would not lend money, knowing that he would never return it. And I certainly would not take care of mother and daughter at the same time.

Khlestakov is a grandiose liar, he deceives everyone as easily and with inspiration as children do when they compose fables about themselves and their loved ones. Ivan Alexandrovich enjoys his fantasies and even believes in them. According to Gogol, Khlestakov "lies with feeling", without any plan or self-interest.

A young man of twenty-three "good-looking", an official of the lowest rank, "simple elestratishka", poor, and even completely lost in cards - this is how the hero appears before us at the beginning of the play. He is hungry and begs the tavern servant to bring at least some food. Khlestakov came from the provinces to conquer the capital, but due to the lack of connections and financial opportunities, he remains a loser. Even the servant treats him with disdain.

Gogol did not choose such a surname for his hero by chance. It clearly shows associations with verbs "lash", "whip" and expression "metropolitan dude", which is quite consistent with the image.

The author described his character as follows: "somewhat stupid", "Doesn't work", "handy man", "dressed in fashion". And here are the words of Khlestakov himself: “I have an extraordinary lightness in my thoughts”. And it's not just frivolity. The hero jumps at lightning speed in a conversation from subject to subject, judges everything superficially and does not seriously think about anything. Irresponsibility, spiritual emptiness, blurring of moral principles erase any boundaries in Khlestakov's behavior and conversation.

At first, Alexander Ivanovich simply takes bribes, and then he extorts them himself. He is not at all discouraged by Anna Andreevna's remark that she is married. Khlestakov's motto: “After all, you live for picking flowers of pleasure”. He easily moves from the role of a bribe-taker to the role of a defender of the oppressed, from a timid supplicant to a brazen one. "master of life".

Khlestakov, like most narrow-minded people, believes that success does not require serious efforts, knowledge and talent. In his opinion, chance is enough, good luck, like winning at the card table. Writing like Pushkin or managing a ministry is a pleasure. Anyone who is at the right time and in the right place can do it. And if fortune smiles at him, why should he miss his chance?

Khlestakov does not go to rank, fame and fortune through intrigue, deceit and crime. For this he is too simple, stupid and lazy. For a long time, he does not even understand why the city elite is so worn with him. Random circumstances elevate Khlestakov to the top of the social pyramid. Crazy with joy and tipsy, the hero voices his dreams to enthusiastic listeners, passing them off as reality with such sincere conviction that highly experienced officials do not suspect deceit. Even frank absurdity and a heap of complete absurdities do not dispel the dope of servility.

For example, the mayor does not look stupid and naive. "Scammers over scammers deceived", he says of his thirty years of service. But as if under hypnosis, he does not notice the absurdity of the stories of the imaginary auditor and future son-in-law. The entire bureaucratic fraternity of the county town N believes, like Khlestakov, that money and connections can do anything. Therefore, such a young man is quite capable of occupying the highest post. They are not at all surprised that he visits the palace every day, plays cards with foreign ambassadors and will soon be promoted to field marshal.

It's interesting that life "high society" Khlestakov is very approximate. His imagination is only enough for fantastic quantities, amounts and distances: a watermelon for seven hundred rubles, soup straight from Paris, thirty-five thousand couriers. "The speech is jerky, flies out of the mouth unexpectedly", - the author writes about his hero. Khlestakov practically does not think, so he does not have sideways remarks, like other characters.

However, the hero sincerely considers himself smarter and more worthy of stupid provincials. A complete nonentity with grandiose claims, a liar, a coward and a windy braggart Khlestakov is a product of his era. But Gogol created an image that carries universal human vices. Today, corrupt officials are unlikely to take such a dummy for an auditor, but each of us has a little from Khlestakov.

• "Inspector General", analysis of the comedy by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol
• "Inspector", a summary of the actions of Gogol's comedy

N. V. Gogol's comedy "The Government Inspector" has long been sold with quotes and sharp comparisons, as they very aptly reflect human nature. This work, which the great writer wrote in 1835, is relevant to this day. Because it describes with the brightest accuracy the most diverse features of the human character, in particular its main character. A coward, a braggart, a self-confident person - this is a brief image of Khlestakov. In the comedy "The Inspector General" these features are revealed juicy and bright.

Deception of the century

This work begins with the fact that in one county town they are waiting for a very important person - an auditor who is going with an important check. And here comes the gentleman, very modest and businesslike. Brief image Khlestakov in the comedy "The Inspector General" the author draws with very positive colors. Ivan Vladimirovich, that's the name of the visitor, very "pleasant appearance." It does not make a stunning impression and is not even remarkable. But if you look closely at the hero, he is very worthy of attention.

The circumstances were such that Khlestakov was taken for an important person. And he, instead of immediately correcting the misunderstanding, instantly enters the image. It is here that the most hidden qualities of his character are manifested.

The loser and the little man

An ordinary ordinary person of that time is a brief image of Khlestakov in the comedy "The Inspector General", which the author draws for us at the beginning. He lives in which is full of various temptations and temptations. But northern capital refuses to accept him into their ranks. After all, Khlestakov’s position is not high enough, but he does not shine with a special mind, he does not have any sparkling talents. It can be safely attributed to the banal losers who came to conquer St. Petersburg. But his strength - both financial and moral - the hero clearly overestimated. He is ordinary small man in the big capital.

But here fate gives such a chance - to demonstrate that you are an outstanding person. And Khlestakov with passion rushes into

County nobility

What society does it belong to main character? This is the environment of the small landed nobility, whose representatives are only concerned with emphasizing their significance and greatness. Each resident of the county town tries to emphasize the shortcomings of the other in order to prove that he is the best. The characters in Gogol's The Government Inspector are swaggering, sometimes stupid, but consider themselves to be the local aristocracy.

And Khlestakov, the most ordinary little clerk, falls into such a society, as the author writes about him - "neither this nor that."

A reasonable question arises - why did the main character not immediately admit that he is not the one for whom they take him? But the author does not give an answer to this question - maybe he just wanted to play an important person?

A brief image of Khlestakov in the comedy "The Government Inspector" can be described as follows - this is a person who is too far from ideal, he is a player, he is a petty reveler. Khlestakov believes that comfort should prevail, and worldly pleasures should come first. He sees nothing shameful in fooling swindlers. Moreover, he is sure that he is doing a “holy work”.

Gogol brought out a wonderful image of a braggart and a coward who does not strive for anything and simply burns his life away. He is "one of those people who are called empty in the offices."

By the way, Khlestakov's quotes from The Inspector General very aptly and vividly characterize a certain circle of people. The exact characteristics given to the heroes in a few words quite accurately reflect their inner essence.

It is interesting that, in addition to the real face, there is a ghost in the hero who takes revenge on him with fantastic self-affirmation. He tries with might and main to be not who he really is, but it desperately fails. But even Khlestakov's own lackey openly despises the master. Here is how he speaks of his master: “It would really be good to have something worthwhile, otherwise it’s a simple elistratishka.”

Both a braggart and a scoundrel

Khlestakov has a good pedigree. He was born into the family of an old-world landowner, in the outback of Russia. But for some reason he was unable to keep in touch either with his family, or with the people, or with the land. He does not remember his relationship and from this becomes, as it were, an artificial person who jumped out of the "Peter's table of ranks." About his father, he speaks rather dismissively: "They, penny, do not know what it means to" order to accept "". Such Khlestakov's quotes from The Inspector General once again emphasize that the hero does not honor, and even tries to mock his old father.

But this does not prevent him from taking money from the "uneducated father" and spending it as he sees fit.

Narcissistic, gambling, boastful - this is a brief image of Khlestakov in the comedy "The Government Inspector". He arrived at the hotel and immediately demands the most delicious dinner for himself, because he supposedly was not used to anything else. He loses all the money, but he can't stop. He insults the servant and yells at him, but at some points he eagerly listens to his advice.

And what a boast! Without batting an eyelid, he declares that he has an excellent command of the pen, and he personally wrote such famous works as "Robert the Devil" and "Fenella" in one evening. He does not even suspect that these are not books, but operas!

And even when the mayor's daughter convicts him of lying and remembers the real author of the work - "Yuri Miloslavsky", Khlestakov immediately declares that he has exactly the same work.

One can only envy such an ability to instantly rebuild and not to shade! To impress the townsfolk, he now and then sprinkles French words, which he knows only a few. It seems to him that his speech becomes secular because of this, but in fact his flow of words causes laughter. He does not know how to finish his thought, so he quickly changes topics, jumping from one to another. When he needs something, he can be affectionate and polite. But as soon as Khlestakov gets his own, he immediately begins to be rude and rude.

There is no morality, there is only profit

There are no moral restrictions for Khlestakov. He is an empty and frivolous person who is concerned only with his own well-being. And when officials come to him to give him an elementary bribe, he takes it for granted. At first, when money is given for the first time, he is unusually shy and even drops it from excitement. But when the postmaster comes in, Khlestakov is already more confident in accepting the money. At Strawberries, he simply demands them with vigor. So far, he is sure in his heart that he borrows these funds and will certainly give them back. But as soon as he realizes that he was confused with an important person, Khlestakov instantly adapts to the situation and decides to take advantage of such a great chance.

The place of comedy in world literature

Gogol, The Inspector General, Khlestakov - these words have become firmly established in world literature. The concept of "Khlestakovism" has become a household symbol of deceit, cheating and narrow-mindedness.

The author managed to reflect the character of the main character in his work so accurately that until now very often deceitful and vicious people are called in one word - Khlestakov. A rogue and a rogue, he never drew conclusions from his situation, being in the mean confidence that next time he would certainly be lucky.

The image of a false auditor in Gogol's comedy is not at all the main one, but it is a key character, on the basis of interaction with which the characters of all the heroes, officials of a small county town, are written out. Khlestakov was that touchstone, which shows all the comedy and bureaucratic lawlessness, and the whole life of Russia at that time. It is on the stupidity of this petty official, who happened to be passing through here, that all the stupidity and worthlessness of the local aristocracy and the bureaucratic elite looms.

Initially, a stupid, eccentric young man is shown with excessive claims to life, which, as we understand, are his style of behavior. Then we see in his example the reality of this nature in other heroes of the play.

Khlestakov's characteristic

The initial characterization of Khlestakov was already given by the author himself, as a recommendation for the actor who will embody this image on stage. He is characterized as an empty and extremely stupid person. However, in the course of the play, the image of Khlestakov opens up more fully, in all its comic diversity.

It is no coincidence that the first appearance on the stage of this image is not associated with the young man himself, but with his servant, who talks for a long time about the owner. He characterizes him - “it would be good if it was worthwhile, otherwise it’s a simple lady”, meaning obviously the most insignificant rank and the fact that the owner behaves stupidly and arrogantly out of status. They are completely characterized by the local owner of the hotel - "you and your master are scammers, and your master is a rogue." It is difficult to give a more precise description. In a dispute with the owner, not just stupidity is manifested, but an awkward childish naivety in an attempt to still make a proper impression and deceive everyone.

(Artist L. Konstantinovsky, illustration for "The Government Inspector", 1951)

It is these attempts that he succeeds with success when he communicates with local officials. For local officials, the fear of exposure of their unseemly acts in the service and innate servility close up the seemingly obvious stupidity of the visitor. And Khlestakov, as they say, has already suffered.

In dealing with the mayor and the local elite, our hero shows remarkable imagination and reckless impudence, which could be quickly exposed in ordinary society, but in this case goes for the truth. No less stupid are the ladies, and the police, and the owner of the city himself, whom the author described as "not a very stupid person."

The image of Khlestakov as the main character of the comedy

And yet, Khlestakov, with his role in the play, interacting with the rest of the characters, is the main character. The way the rest of the characters characterize him, in a positive laudatory or in a negative ironic way, reveals their own characters.

By chance, finding himself in the role of the capital's auditor, Khlestakov, not at all embarrassed, takes on this role and fulfills it in accordance with his own primitive ideas about the habits and lifestyle of high officials. However, the fact that they cannot expose him suggests that it was precisely such habits that all bureaucracy was endowed with.

(Weinstein Mark Grigorievich "Khlestakov and the Governor", 1945-1952)

They easily believe him and obsequiously try to please, especially seeing in him a bird of "high flight". An intelligent mayor, seasoned policemen, young ladies easily recognize him as a capital burner. Obviously, according to Gogol's plan, this is a hyperbole of the beau monde that he observed in real life. And the final silent scene turns out to be the apogee of comedy and the actors perceived as just a possible repetition of what happened.

Even the very fact of exposure did not in any way affect the change in the consciousness of one's own mistake and stupidity of either the local bigwigs or the false auditor himself. The only annoyance on both sides is the unfortunate mistake and the fact that this official did not turn out to be exactly who he claimed to be. Only one annoyance that "will spread history around the world." And the very fact of the mistake did not turn out to be a lesson for anyone, because the mistake itself was only in the personality of the arrived veil, but not in his behavior, actions, stories and boasting. As the mayor said - “I myself am not glad that I drank, as if even half of what he said turns out to be true!” This is precisely the main meaning invested in the image of the protagonist, the author. The stupidity of officials reveals the very viciousness of the entire bureaucratic system of the state.