Dead Souls is a satirical story about a swindler, Tchitchikov, trying to swindle in various backwater villages. As Gogol characterizes him:
"But all the same I have not taken a virtuous man for my hero. And I may even say why I have not. Because it is high time at last to let the poor virtuous man rest; because the phrase 'virtuous man' is too often taken in vain because they have made a regular hack of the virtuous man and there is not a writer who has not ridden him to death, lashing him on with whip or anything that comes to hand; because they have so overdone the virtuous man that there is not a shadow of virtue left about him, and his nothing but skin and bone; because it is through hypocrisy they invoke the virtuous man; because the virtuous man is not respected. No, the time has come at last to trot out the rascal! And so let us trot out the rascal!" pg. 43
Tchitchikov is described as the hero throughout though his actions are generally reprehensible. He is an excellent anti-hero. Gogol provides wonderfully satirical sketches of the people that Tchitchikov attempts to befriend and take advantage of. The brief descriptions of individuals are vivid and engaging. Unfortunately, people appear and disappear very quickly.
Gogol writes frequently in a conversational style, directly to the reader,
"And which of you, full of Christian meekness, not in public, but alone in private, at the moment of solitary inward converse, asks in the depths of your own soul, this painful question: 'Is there not a bit of Tchitchikov in me too?'" pr. 75
If everyone has a little bit of Tchitchikov in them then we must all be somewhat superficial and rascally. That might not be so bad according to Gogol. Especially if we do not expect to find virtue everywhere, or expect ourselves to be too virtuous. Perhaps virtue is valued because it is rare, and not something one claims for one's own.
"But all the same I have not taken a virtuous man for my hero. And I may even say why I have not. Because it is high time at last to let the poor virtuous man rest; because the phrase 'virtuous man' is too often taken in vain because they have made a regular hack of the virtuous man and there is not a writer who has not ridden him to death, lashing him on with whip or anything that comes to hand; because they have so overdone the virtuous man that there is not a shadow of virtue left about him, and his nothing but skin and bone; because it is through hypocrisy they invoke the virtuous man; because the virtuous man is not respected. No, the time has come at last to trot out the rascal! And so let us trot out the rascal!" pg. 43
Tchitchikov is described as the hero throughout though his actions are generally reprehensible. He is an excellent anti-hero. Gogol provides wonderfully satirical sketches of the people that Tchitchikov attempts to befriend and take advantage of. The brief descriptions of individuals are vivid and engaging. Unfortunately, people appear and disappear very quickly.
Gogol writes frequently in a conversational style, directly to the reader,
"And which of you, full of Christian meekness, not in public, but alone in private, at the moment of solitary inward converse, asks in the depths of your own soul, this painful question: 'Is there not a bit of Tchitchikov in me too?'" pr. 75
If everyone has a little bit of Tchitchikov in them then we must all be somewhat superficial and rascally. That might not be so bad according to Gogol. Especially if we do not expect to find virtue everywhere, or expect ourselves to be too virtuous. Perhaps virtue is valued because it is rare, and not something one claims for one's own.
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