The image of Khlestakov in the comedy "The Inspector General"

“In The Inspector General, I decided to collect in one pile everything bad in Russia that I knew then, all the injustices, and laugh at everything at once” - this is the main goal that Gogol set for himself. Being in continual connection with the dramaturgy of Fonvizin, Griboyedov, Pushkin, the comedy “The Inspector General” was distinguished by the scale of its artistic generalization and the volume of its problems. With the help of laughter, “which flows entirely from the bright nature of man,” the writer, from the height of creative genius, reflected “the evil of his time.”

Gogol warned more than once: Khlestakov is the most difficult character in the play. Let's see what this hero is like. Khlestakov is a petty official, an insignificant person, reproached by everyone. Even his own servant Osip despises him; his father can drag him by his hair. He is poor and is not able to work in such a way as to provide himself with at least a tolerable existence. He is deeply dissatisfied with his life, even subconsciously despises himself. But emptiness and stupidity do not allow him to comprehend his troubles and try to change his life. It seems to him that if only a chance presents itself, everything will change, he will be transferred “from rags to riches.” This allows Khlestakov to feel so easily and naturally that he is a significant person.

The world in which Khlestakov lives is incomprehensible to him. He is unable to comprehend the connection of things, to imagine what the ministers are really doing, how he behaves and what his “friend” Pushkin writes. For him, Pushkin is the same Khlestakov, but happier, more successful. It is interesting that both the mayor and his associates, who cannot but be recognized as sharp-witted people who know life and are not stupid in their own way, are not at all embarrassed by Khlestakov’s lies. They also think that it’s all a matter of chance: if you’re lucky, you’re the director of the department. No personal merit, labor, intelligence or soul is required. You just need to help the occasion, to hook someone up. The only difference between them and Khlestakov is that the latter is frankly stupid and lacks even practical insight. If he were smarter, if he immediately understood the delusion of the city elite, he would begin to deliberately play along. And it would undoubtedly fail. A cunning, a well-thought-out lie would not have deceived the attentive mayor. He would have found a weak point in a pre-created invention, it’s not for nothing that Anton Antonovich is proud: “I’ve been in the service for thirty years; ...he deceived swindlers on swindlers. He deceived three governors!” The mayor could not assume only one thing in Khlestakov - sincerity, inability to consciously, thoughtfully lie.

Meanwhile, this is one of the main features of Khlestakov, making him a hero of “mirage” intrigue. The inner emptiness makes his behavior completely unpredictable: at every given moment he behaves the way he “turns out.” He was starved in a hotel, the threat of arrest hung over him - and he flatteringly begged the servant to bring at least something to eat. They bring lunch - and he jumps on his chair with delight and impatience. At the sight of a plate of soup, Khlestakov forgets how a minute ago he humiliatingly begged for food. He has already assumed the role of an important gentleman. “Well, master, master... I don’t care about your master!” Mann, a researcher of Gogol’s work, quite rightly comments on the essence of this image: “He, like water, takes the form of any vessel. Khlestakov has extraordinary adaptability: the entire structure of his feelings and psyche is easily and involuntarily rearranged under the influence of place and time.”

Khlestakov is woven from contradictions. Khlestakov’s crazy, illogical lies, in essence, deeply correspond to the time of fundamental illogicalism. Khlestakov is a universal human figure, but this type reached its apogee in the Nicholas era, illustrates it worthily and fully, revealing the deep-seated vices of this time. Officials see perfectly well that he is stupid, but the height of his rank overshadows any human qualities.

Each of the characters in the play contains a lot of Khlestakovism. This is the author's intention. That’s why Khlestakov is the main character, because his traits are inherent in every person to one degree or another. They are comical only when put together and displayed on stage. The most striking illustration is the mayor’s dreams of a future life as the father-in-law of a great man. Both he and Anna Andreevna imagine not just luxury, but such luxury that their current life, their current acquaintances, humiliate them. Anton Antonovich paints a picture: “...If you go somewhere, couriers and adjutants will gallop everywhere... Heh, heh, heh, that’s what a bastard is, tempting!” Thus, we see that Khlestakov and Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky’s ideas about luxurious life basically coincide. After all, Khlestakov’s “thirty-five thousand couriers alone” are no different from the couriers and adjutants who, in the mayor’s dreams, “will gallop everywhere.” And most importantly, Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky is just as happy to advance above the small fry and the mayor, presenting himself as a general.

So, the image of Khlestakov was a brilliant artistic generalization of Gogol. The objective meaning and significance of this image is that it represents an indissoluble unity of “significance” and insignificance, grandiose claims and inner emptiness. Khlestakov represents the concentration of the traits of an era in one person. That is why the life of the era was reflected in “The Inspector General” with enormous force, and the images of Gogol’s comedy became those artistic types that make it possible to more clearly understand the social phenomena of that time.

In his explanations for the actors, Gogol described him as follows: “A young man, about 23 years old, thin, thin; somewhat stupid and, as they say, without a king in his head...” Having accidentally found himself in a society of lies and hypertrophied veneration of rank, Khlestakov felt quite comfortable in The Inspector General. For him, respect for officials and lying are also a natural state, just like for officials of the district city. True, his lies are special. Gogol warned: “Khlestakov is not cheating at all; he is not a liar by trade; he himself forgets that he is lying, and he himself almost believes in what he says.” That is, lying is not an exception for him, but the norm of life - he doesn’t even notice it.

The climax of Gogol's play "The Inspector General" is the scene in which the drunken Khlestakov, having gone into a rage, talks about his life in St. Petersburg. The complete discrepancy between what Khlestakov tells about himself and what he really is, as well as the discrepancy between what he was like in the county town and how the officials saw him, creates a comic effect. It was he who revealed the true face of both Khlestakov and the officials. And it turned out that in the main things (in the ability to live in a lie and in orientation towards rank) they are very similar.

If the mayor sees himself in his dreams as a general who doesn’t care about anything, then Khlestakov even sees himself as a field marshal. The mayor is having lunch “somewhere with the governor,” and Khlestakov is “on friendly terms with Pushkin.” Although their appearance is completely different. He is “skinny” and “thin”, a “whistle”, as the deceived mayor called him, and almost all officials are fat and round. They are frozen in their habits, not wanting to change anything. He is in constant motion and is ready to change depending on the situation. This is clearly visible already in the first scenes of the comedy. At first, Khlestakov in the comedy “The Inspector General” is timid, ingratiating himself even with the tavern servant. But as soon as he noticed that they were afraid of him, he immediately turned into an important person even in his own eyes. And in the eyes of frightened officials, he was in this rank even earlier.

Khlestakov deceived the mayor because... he did not intend to do this. Because he behaved cunningly, he was simple-minded. Therefore, he prevailed over the experienced and not stupid mayor, because he was much stupider, smaller.

Upon superficial observation, it seems that in Gogol’s comedy the mayor and his company compete with Khlestakov in cunning, deceit, dexterity... But in fact, there is no competition, since one of the parties - Khlestakov - simply avoids the fight, not understanding neither the goals nor the intentions of their opponents. But thereby Khlestakov provides them with complete opportunity to fight the ghost that they built in their imagination. And not only fight, but even be defeated by him.”

The image of Khlestakov in “The Inspector General” is Gogol’s artistic discovery. Just like the derivative from his name - Khlestakovism. And the “prefabricated city” created by Gogol is an analogue of that big world in which everything is interconnected and mutually determined.

The image of Khlestakov in N. V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”

Laughter is often a great mediator

in distinguishing truth from lies...

V. G. Belinsky

Khlestakov is the main character in N.V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General” (1836). He is not only the central figure of the comedic action, but also represents the typical character. “Everyone, at least for a minute, if not for a few minutes,” said Gogol, “was or is being made by Khlestakov... And a clever guards officer will sometimes turn out to be Khlestakov, and a statesman... and our brother a writer...” It is this hero who most fully expresses that combination of extreme ambition and spiritual insignificance, arrogance and narcissism, which was characteristic of high-ranking officials. Khlestakov became the personification of a high-ranking official-auditor by mistake, but a natural mistake. His resemblance to a messenger from the “higher ups” was striking, which is why it misled such an experienced person as the mayor, and all those around him.

The mayor did not notice any differences in Khlestakov from those numerous auditors and high-ranking persons with whom he had met before. Of course, fear clouded his eyes and mind, but he probably experienced the same fear during other visits of “big” people. Consequently, the point here is not only about fear, but also about the fact that Khlestakov could really be mistaken for an auditor.

It was no coincidence that Gogol brought to the stage in the role of an imaginary auditor a man living in St. Petersburg and serving in the department. Khlestakov was born of bureaucratic-aristocratic Petersburg. He absorbed into himself, like a sponge, all those negative phenomena that filled the capital’s society.

The son of a poor Saratov landowner, Khlestaov, serving in the department as a petty official (“elistrate”), wants to live in grand style, indulge in entertainment, diligently imitating secular dandies, and pluck flowers of pleasure. “Father will send money, something to hold it with - and where!.. He went on a spree... instead of going to office, and he goes for a walk along the avenue, plays cards,” says Osip’s servant about him.

Khlestakov, insignificant both by origin and position, must play the role of a respectable official. The main character traits of this character are irresponsibility and bragging. Having squandered all his money and significantly spent money on the road, he nevertheless imagines how nice it would be to drive up to the house in a luxurious carriage, and dress up his servant Osip in livery, and how everyone would come to attention just at the mere mention of his name - Ivan Alexandrovich Khlestakov from St. Petersburg.

Even while courting the tavern servant, begging him for lunch, Khlestakov behaves arrogantly. Without paying anything for the hotel, he makes claims to the owner, who does not want to understand that this is not an ordinary person: “You explain to him seriously that I need to eat. .. He thinks that just as he, a man, is okay if he doesn’t eat for a day, so is it for others too. News!" Having difficulty obtaining an extension of the loan from the hotel owner, he begins to behave even more impudently: he doesn’t like the food, and everyone around him is a swindler and thieves.

Khlestakov's warlike ardor fades away as soon as he learns of the mayor's arrival. He fears that the head of the city will send him straight to prison. However, the timidity of the mayor in front of the imaginary auditor reinforces Khlestakov’s unceremoniousness: “What right do you have? How dare you? Yes, here I am... I serve in St. Petersburg...” He suddenly realizes that Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky is not going to put him in prison, but, on the contrary, intends to provide him with all kinds of services, mistaking him for a “high-flying bird.”

The image of the mayor receives its brilliant conclusion in the fifth act of the comedy. And here Gogol uses the principle of sharp switches, moving from the defeat of the hero to his triumph, and then from triumph to the dethronement of the hero. In an atmosphere of universal admiration, Khlestakov literally blossoms. In the third act of the comedy, he is shown in the moments of his takeoff. With ecstasy, Khlestakov paints pictures of his imaginary life in front of shocked listeners. He does not lie out of any clear motives or clear goals. Lightness of mind does not allow him to make serious calculations regarding the consequences of his actions. He lies out of empty vanity, he lies to boast of his “high” position, he lies because he is at the mercy of his fantasy. He reveals to the heroes of the comedy and to the audience his dream, which he would like to achieve, but he himself passes it off as reality.

Khlestakov has already made everyone believe that he is an important person, and therefore he takes the warm welcome for granted. At first, he has no idea that he is being mistaken for some important person. After officials began supplying him with money, he began to realize that he was being mistaken for another person. However, this does not prevent Khlestakov from still experiencing pleasure from everything that happens.

In the fourth act of the comedy, Gogol shows how Khlestakov organizes a collection of money, receives gifts from officials and merchants, and deals with complaints from townspeople. Nothing bothers Khlestakov: he feels neither fear nor remorse. Apparently, it is not particularly difficult for this person to commit any meanness, any deception. Without a shadow of embarrassment, he performs the functions of an important official and is ready to thoughtlessly decide the fate of people.

With extraordinary ease, Khlestakov switches from the “state” sphere to the lyrical plane. As soon as the visitors disappear from his field of vision, he immediately forgets about them. The arrival of Marya Antonovna immediately puts Khlestakov in a romantic mood. And here he acts without realizing where the events will lead him. “Lyrical” scenes reveal the character of the hero from a new side. In his explanations with Marya Antonovna and Anna Andreevna, Khlestakov appears as a person using a wretched set of vulgar tricks and banal sayings. The hero's love explanations emphasize his lack of living human feelings.

It is not for nothing that Gogol, giving instructions on how to play his hero, emphasized that he should turn out to be a liar, a coward and a clicker in all respects.

The objective meaning and significance of this image is that it represents an indissoluble unity of “significance” and insignificance, huge claims and inner emptiness.

It is also very significant that the image of Khlestakov is closely related to the images of other characters in the play. The mayor, Zemlyaika, and Lyapkin-Tyapkin have Khlestakov qualities. They are expressed in a complete lack of moral principles, in exorbitant claims, in the desire to play the role of a person of a rank higher than one’s own, in the ability to commit any meanness.

I. S. Turgenev saw in the image of Khlestakov “the triumph of poetic truth.” He said that “... the name Khlestakov loses its randomness and becomes a common noun.” Khlestakovism is a manifestation of arrogance, frivolity, inner emptiness, irresponsibility and deceit. This phenomenon has acquired a broad social and psychological meaning. The image of Khlestakov belongs to the number of such - found and guessed phenomena of life.

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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. This is probably why stories with the 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 essentially a gift of fate, is also based on a dose 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 Aleksandrovich Khlestakov is a young landowner, a nobleman who once found himself in an awkward situation.

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

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

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

We invite you to read the story of the same name by N.V. Gogol

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

At first Khlestakov was perplexed, but then decided to take full advantage of the situation. With money in his pocket, he successfully retreated from the city. News about his fictitiousness as an auditor became known too late - blaming Khlestakov and demanding the return of money from him is a stupid thing to do. In this case, the fact of bribery would have to be admitted, and this would be the ruin of the careers of officials.

Khlestakov's appearance

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

Such physical characteristics significantly spoil the impression he makes. But the cunning Khlestakov finds a clever way to correct the situation - an expensive and well-groomed suit.

Ivan Aleksandrovich understands that the first impression of him is always based on his appearance, so he cannot afford to make a mistake here - clothes are made of expensive fabric, sewn based on fashion trends. Always cleaned to a shine - such an external factor significantly distracts society’s attention from the inner essence of a person.

Khlestakov family, education

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

First of all, you 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, gestures - this had to be learned for many years. For people of noble origin, this style was common; they adopted it from their parents, their friends who came to visit.

Ivan Alexandrovich was not a luminary of high society, but he was still 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 suggests that the estate was not unprofitable, it generated sufficient 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” education. This conclusion can be drawn based on the position he holds. 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 have been 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 family’s large income 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 had ever been rich, they would have been able to acquire connections or acquaintances during the period of their family’s material rise), which means sending their son to study abroad or they did not have the money to hire highly qualified teachers.

Attitude to service

Khlestakov’s exact age is not indicated. Gogol limits it to 23-24 years old. Mostly people of this age are full of enthusiasm and desire to realize themselves. But this is not the case of Khlestakov. Ivan Aleksandrovich is rather frivolous about his work; he is of little interest in promotions and the possibility of career growth. His work is not difficult and consists of copying papers, but Khlestakov is too lazy to be zealous in matters of service. 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 luxury apartments and therefore does not seek to improve the current housing situation. For Khlestakov, the values ​​of life are contained in other things - leisure and clothing. But the situation changes dramatically when Khlestakov needs to stay in an unfamiliar city - here he stays only in the best apartments. It is likely that such a move is connected with Khlestakov’s desire to create the impression of a man so rich that everyone around him, who does not know the real state of affairs, begins to envy him. It is possible that the calculation is based not only on the feeling of envy, with the help of which Ivan Alexandrovich asserts himself, but also on the opportunity to receive some kind of bonuses from local officials or the hotel owner.

Added to this fact is 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 set him apart from those of the same condition as himself - appearance attributes. He doesn’t have to invite everyone to his home or talk unnecessarily about the location of his home, but the condition and cheapness of the suit can give him a bad reputation. Since life for show is important to 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 for their son. Apparently they were betting heavily on his abilities. The father periodically expresses his indignation at this expense, but the son always finds an excuse - not all at once. It takes a long time to earn a promotion. In fact, such an excuse is a lie that allows you to hide the true state of affairs.

Life in St. Petersburg

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

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

Personality characteristics

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

Ivan Aleksandrovich 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 inspires him.

Still, 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 from other characters about his works, we can conclude that these attempts were not successful.

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

Khlestakov is not brave, 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 his core, he is a wimp, but he is 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 affairs.

Khlestakov's attitude towards women

Gogol is silent about Khlestakov’s relationships with women in St. Petersburg, but actively describes Ivan Alexandrovich’s behavior with female representatives in the provinces.

Khlestakov knows how to play to the public and evoke a feeling of sympathy in people - this applies not only to indicators of good manners 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 unique way of playing and 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. At first he confesses his love to his daughter, 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 of Khlestakov’s tenderness towards his mother, Ivan Alexandrovich, taking advantage of the stupidity of women and the feeling of love that arose in them towards him, turns the whole situation in favor of a wedding with Marya Antonovna - at the same time Neither mother nor daughter understands their humiliating position and does not feel offended. Leaving the city, Khlestakov understands 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 future fate of the young girl and the possibility of traumatizing her with his actions - he leaves the city with a calm soul.

Thus, Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov is a typical scoundrel, capable of bringing grief and trouble to other people for the sake of his pleasure. He does not appreciate the care his parents take for himself and is in no hurry to reciprocate the kindness shown to him by others in kind. Most likely, on the contrary - he cleverly takes advantage of 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 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, bright and succinct literary types. Here, for example, is how his creator describes Khlestakov:

Khlestakov, a young man of about twenty-three, thin and 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 consideration. He is unable to stop constant attention on any thought. His speech is abrupt, and words fly out of his mouth completely unexpectedly. The more the person playing this role shows sincerity and simplicity, the more he will win. Dressed in fashion...

Remark about the place of the image of Khlestakov in the plot of Gogol’s text
The hero ends up in one of the small, provincial towns of the Russian Empire by accident. And just by chance, Khlestakov creates a whirlwind of mistakes around himself. The man constantly stumbles and stumbles. However, at first events go well for Khlestakov. The hero's arrival almost coincides with the arrival in the city of an auditor - a strict Russian official who intended to check the affairs in the town. And so: the residents of the city are waiting for the arrival of the official, and mistake 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 his parents’ money. A man loves female company, craves power, influence and money. Khlestakov treats lower-ranking serfs and servants with pointed disdain. The hero calls the peasants scoundrels, swindlers, slackers and fools. Khlestakov’s faithful servant also gets it.

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

Give me, lend me a loan, I’ll pay the innkeeper right away...

How to evaluate the image of Khlestakov?

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

Khlestakov is a victim of circumstances, the 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 the man’s smile fascinates everyone), as well as good manners. The hero belonged to an aristocratic family, but showed the same inability to live in a life where he had to earn his own living, like all nobles. The man's soul longed for St. 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 his affectation and thinness, the hero’s posture was 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 in the offices are called empty.”

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

1. The completely Gogolian hero was called Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov. The mayor emphasizes the “plainliness,” that is, the smallishness, short stature of the hero, who did not at all resemble a powerful auditor. However, Khlestakov’s very appearance is “not bad”; the young man clearly arouses the interest of ladies, the favor of mature beauties and young girls.

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

It would be nice if there was really something worthwhile, otherwise he’s just a simple little elistrat!..

However, in the Saratov region, Khlestakov had his own village, which was called Podkatilovka. This is where Gogol's hero was heading until, due to a coincidence of circumstances, he stopped by the city of N. In St. Petersburg, Khlestakov occupies a small apartment located on the top floor. The top places were then occupied by people who did not boast of tight wallets:

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

3. The hero’s heart, it seemed, was not in the service. Therefore, instead of regular and honest work, the young man wastes his life in entertainment establishments:

...does not take care of business: instead of going to office, he goes for a walk along the avenue, plays cards<…>“No, father demands me. The old man was angry that he had still not achieved anything in St. Petersburg. He thinks that this is how he came and now they’ll give you Vladimir in your buttonhole...”

So, the Russian writer emphasizes that Khlestakov loved to lead a free lifestyle, indulge in various pleasures, spend money on trifles and amusements. Saving was never easy for Khlestakov, so the hero periodically found himself completely broke and begging for money from his parents’ savings:

“He squandered some expensive money, my dear, now he sits with his tail curled up and doesn’t get excited. And it would be, and there would be a lot of use for runs; no, you see, you need to show yourself in every city!..”<…>“...The priest will send money, something to hold it with - and where! .. he went on a spree: he drives a cab, every day you get a ticket to the key, and then a week later, lo and behold, he sends him to the flea market to sell a new tailcoat...”

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 cuisine, theatrical performances, and gambling, in which he lost more often than he won:

“And I admit, I don’t like to deny myself death on the road, and why? Is not it?.."<…>“... Hey, Osip, go look at the room, the best one, and ask for the best lunch: I can’t eat a bad lunch, I need the best lunch...”<…>"I like to eat. After all, you live to pick flowers of pleasure.”<…>“I—I admit, this is my weakness—love good cuisine.”<…>“Please tell me, do you have any entertainment, societies where you could, for example, play cards?..”<…>"...sometimes it's very tempting to play..."<…>“... He meets a person passing by, and then plays cards - now you’ve finished the game!..”<…>“Yes, if I hadn’t gone on a spree in Penza, I would have had enough money to get home. The infantry captain greatly deceived me: the stosi are amazing, beast, cutting off. I only sat for about a quarter of an hour and robbed everything. And with all that fear, I would like to fight it again. The case just didn’t lead..."

5. Khlestakov is prone to lies. The drama of the character lies in the fact that the hero sometimes invents an alternative reality in which he believes. 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 Gogol’s careless character; after all, Khlestakov is a swindler. Even if the fraudulent nature of Gogol’s character is accidental, Gogol does not justify Khlestakov, but portrays the image of the young man objectively.