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The main character of N. V. Gogol's comedy “The Inspector General” is Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov, a petty St. Petersburg official. What is Khlestakov like? It's more like a ghost. He is a nobleman, commander-in-chief, and almost second in command after the emperor.
Khlestakov is a rogue and a spendthrift, a lover of a cheerful, idle life, so he constantly needs money. His lies are like the creative inspiration of an artist. He lies disinterestedly, not demanding anything at this moment, as long as they believe. He lies harmlessly, but so skillfully that he begins to believe himself and deceives himself.
Outwardly, Khlestakov looks like the most unremarkable passerby. The author describes him as a young man of approximately 23 years old, of a thin build. And at the same time he notes that he is a little stupid and “without a king in his head.” But the whole city takes him for a formidable inspector and tries to appease this insignificant little man. There is also nothing special or memorable about the officials who please him.
It is the image of the main character that personifies Khlestakovism - a special phenomenon of the Russian bureaucracy. In the comedy, the author ridicules the stupidity and ignorance of the service people, who are afraid of everyone and everything. Officials are presented as bribe takers, fools and worthless little people. The author mercilessly criticizes all the characters; there is not a single positive character in the play.
Khlestakovism is like a virus, everyone becomes infected with it: the mayor and his family, the flogged widow of a non-commissioned officer. She does not need to punish the offender; it is more important to compensate for the damage in money. Greed and stupidity prevail in society.
The surnames of the characters are symbolic: the trustee Strawberry distracts everyone and leads them away from the main thing with sweet talk; the disputes between the landowners Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky are like a dialogue with a mirror; Mayor Skvoznik-Dmukhanovsky and Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin show a careless and negligent attitude towards service. Gogol exposes the corruption of officials, their cowardice and cowardice, their inability to take responsibility for their actions, the lies and hypocrisy that characterize them in order to save their careers.
Khlestakovism is an original set of vices, which in the society of the writer’s contemporaries was considered permissible. This concept is usually associated only with corruption, but the author has put a deeper meaning into this term. In fact, all the negative aspects of a person’s character can be included here and viewed as a global problem of human imperfection.
Essay No. 2
The words “Khlestakov” and “Khlestakovshchina” are analogous words in Gogol’s work “The Inspector General”. Before the publication of this comedy, literature had not yet known a similar hero. His behavioral traits were not similar to any of the previously described heroes. The play is about a simple clerical worker living in St. Petersburg, Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov. The role of the rest of the heroes of the work was played by local officials who were horrified by the news of the arrival of the auditor. The author portrayed Khlestakov as an infantile person who experiences neither hatred nor love, and knows neither good nor evil. All that aroused the hero's interest was money and card games. His cowardly nature pushed him to make claims at the right time. When he began to be flattered, it stimulated his tendency to boast and flights of imagination. Khlestakov did not consider it necessary to refuse gifts, bribes and women's persuasion.
“Khlestakovism” personifies the useless wasting of life, which keeps pace with lies and hypocrisy. Arriving in the town, Khlestakov began to behave so lordly that Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, without even checking the information, decided that he was an auditor. Our hero's servant told his master that there was no need to dissuade people. Next, Khlestakov, with the help of his penchant for lying and boasting, began to behave like a fish in water. He lied without stopping, every word was a lie. His lies touched all areas of life. He said that he eats dishes from Paris, is friends with Pushkin’s brother, and works in the public service. The officials were so paralyzed by general fear that they completely lost their vigilance.
The rural people, seeing how frightened the officials were, caught up with the wave of Khlestakovism and also found themselves involved in the general paralysis. Each offender tried to pay off the prescribed punishment with money. This incident simply poisoned the city.
Khlestakov thought little and did not think at all about the consequences of his behavior. It was impossible to predict what he would come up with next. The situation with the Inspector General even amused him. It is worth remembering the speech that he gave while visiting the mayor. It was all lies. At the end of the work, he deceives everyone and runs away from the city with the money of the officials. Khlestakov’s character has traits inherent in an official, a dreamer, an inspirer, an important and simple-minded person. This is a truly unique hero.
An essay based on the comedy by N.V. Gogol. "Khlestakovism" as a social phenomenon.
An essay based on N.V. Gogol’s comedy “The Inspector General”. "Khlestakovism" - as a social phenomenon.
In his play “The Inspector General” N.V. Gogol showed all the most immoral, unjust, immoral things that happened in Russia in the 19th century. The central character of the comedy is Khlestakov. This is a typical character, embodies a whole phenomenon that is called “Khlestakovism.” What is “Khlestakovism”?
Ivan Aleksandrovich Khlestakov is a minor official, “elistrate”, a young man of 23-24 years old, who came to city N while passing from St. Petersburg to the Saratov province. He was in the right place at the right time. Khlestakov is a “metropolitan thing”, a representative of those noble youth who flooded the St. Petersburg offices and departments, completely neglecting their duties, seeing in the service only an opportunity for a quick career. Even the hero’s father realized that his son could not achieve anything and called him to his place.
Finding himself among city officials who mistook him for an auditor, Khlestakov begins to take advantage of the current situation. He brazenly tells tales about himself, assures everyone that he is “on friendly terms with Pushkin,” and that his works are published in magazines under different names. He also tells a fairy tale about his non-existent luxurious house in St. Petersburg, and that he attends balls every day. And his reputation, according to Khlestakov, is such that he was the one who was entrusted with managing the department without hesitation, and when he passes through it, “everything trembles and shakes like a leaf.” The hero, without a twinge of conscience, takes bribes from officials, landowners and merchants, under the guise of debt. Having played at being an important figure, having “earned” a decent amount of money and promising to marry the Mayor’s daughter, he quickly leaves the city in three.
How could this happen? Who really is Khlestakov? This is an arrogant, crafty, frivolous young man, “somewhat stupid and, as they say, “without a king in his head.” He is cowardly, weak-willed, uneducated, and not distinguished by anything extraordinary. He is rarely at work, so he has not been able to move up the career ladder for a long time: “... he is not involved in business: instead of going to office, he goes for a walk around the precinct, plays cards...”. The only thing the hero is capable of is skillfully fooling empty-headed people like him. Khlestakov is wasteful and gambling, he lost all his money at cards, so he was forced to sit in the county town for two weeks. We can say that the main character is the embodiment of impudence, cunning, greed and bragging. “I am everywhere, everywhere, everywhere” All this is a social phenomenon called “Khlestakovism,” which the author exposes in his comedy.
But this “Khlestakovism” is inherent not only to the main character, but also to the officials of the county town. All, as one, are cynical bribe-takers, lovers of money, trying to benefit from everything (Gorodnichy), stupid and experienced liars (Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky), not distinguished by intelligence, do not care about their work (Judge Tyapkin-Lyapkin). And the postmaster Shpekin, although “a simple-minded person to the point of naivety,” loves to unceremoniously, only out of his curiosity, open other people’s letters and read them.
“Khlestakovism” is arrogance, immorality, boasting, and lies. This is stupidity, helpfulness, sycophancy. This is irresponsibility, cowardice, the desire to appear not to be who you really are, an addiction to panache, combined with inner emptiness and frivolity. It was precisely these qualities that N.V. Gogol reproached many of his contemporaries for.
But these negative traits were characteristic not only of people who lived in the 19th century; we still very often see the same Khlestakovs, Gorodnichs, Bobchinskys and Dobchinskys and the like. Therefore, the play “The Inspector General” and the phenomenon of “Khlestakovism” are still relevant today. And the Khlestakovs are those who yesterday were nobody, and today they received a new assignment and turned up their noses. It is impossible to expose all liars, but it makes sense to listen to Gogol’s advice and catch Khlestakov within yourself. “Everyone, at least for a minute, if not for a few minutes, was or is becoming a Khlestakov... And a clever guards officer... and a statesman... and our brother, a sinful writer, will sometimes turn out to be a Khlestakov” (N.V. Gogol)
Discussion on the topic of Khlestakov and Khlestakovism
Gogol's new comedy excited people with exciting emotions. It is not surprising, because the Russian public met with a true masterpiece. About two centuries have passed, but “The Inspector General” sounds no less poignant. You don't have to look for confirmation for a long time. Everyone knows that real life is populated by Gogol’s characters.
According to the author, the most difficult thing for the viewer to understand is the image of Khlestakov. Gogol gives a deep characterization of this hero in instructions to the artist performing this role. Khlestakov plotted in the district town without any malicious intent. This character looks like a dancer. With his movement, he enlivens the action and makes events develop. Khlestakov masterfully pretends to be an auditor, but realizes that the officials considered him a statesman only after three actions. It is characteristic that this discovery did not evoke any feelings in the false auditor.
District officials are amazed by Khlestakov's behavior. He seemed to them a calculating and cunning man who should be feared. None of them were able to expose the desperate lies of Khlestakov, who brilliantly played up various situations. Khlestakov himself is not evil or cruel. He is an absolutely soulless creature, capable of becoming anyone at any moment: even a secret auditor, even an insignificant bureaucrat. Khlestakov’s short memory lacks the past, and he does not think about the future. He lives for one minute, and at that moment he artistically changes his appearance.
The writer, familiar with the life of petty metropolitan officials, gave the image of Khlestakov the features of a typical illiterate braggart. The hero uses French words, the meaning of which he does not understand, and does not disdain vulgar phrases and literary cliches. A spiritually poor character, like a soap bubble, learned to inflate under favorable circumstances.
The comedy turned the self-consciousness of Russians upside down. The name Khlestakov forever became a household name. The concept of Khlestakovism combines restless verbiage, deception, shameless fanfare combined with inexhaustible frivolity. Gogol fished out the false inspector from the deep abyss of the national character. The writer is sure that it is common for any Russian person to sometimes become Khlestakov, regardless of his position in society, education, or age.
Only laughter can eradicate Khlestakovism. Taking it too seriously is easy to plunge into despair, but a humorous approach will allow you to follow the path of self-improvement and find the road to a new life.
Khlestakovism in the comedy “The Inspector General”
Comedy N.V. Gogol's "The Inspector General" was written in 1842. The play caused a lot of excitement, a lot of controversy and conflicting reviews.
Positive heroes
There are no positive heroes in comedy. Each character is ridiculed by the author and subjected to severe criticism. Most of the criticism went to small-town officials who personified bribery, veneration, embezzlement and stupidity.
The comedy is written in a light style. The language of the work captivates with its artistry and beauty, novelty, and subtle humor. The plot and composition of the work, the main conflict and idea allow it to always remain relevant for Russian society. Comedy phrases have become catchphrases: “An auditor is coming to see us,” “They are recovering like flies,” “What are you laughing at? You’re laughing at yourself!” The name of a typical phenomenon for the society of Nikolaev Russia also appeared - “Khlestakovism” - on behalf of the main character I.A. Khlestakova.
Main character
Ivan Alexandrovich is a young twenty-three-year-old man, an adventurer and swindler, a lover of a beautiful life. He squandered all his savings, so he never had any money. When suddenly the townspeople, led by the mayor, for some reason began to give him money themselves, he was completely at a loss. It turned out that he was mistaken for an auditor - a man called in to check the entire city way of life.
Features of “Khlestakovism”
The main feature of Khlestakov’s image is lies, with the help of which he causes fear and numbness among the ruling circles of the city. Despite his narrow-mindedness and worthlessness, Khlestakov, by a lucky chance (on the advice of his servant Osip), manages to emerge victorious from the situation and leave the mayor and other officials with nothing. Thus, “evil” remains punished, Khlestakov won. Maybe he is a positive hero? No, he is so stupid and superficial that from the whole situation he understood only one thing - impunity.
“Khlestakovism” is a phenomenon caused by a political and social system that was well known to Gogol. The work expresses all the author’s pain for the future of Russia, his indignation at greed, hypocrisy, and pettiness of interests. Khlestakovism characterizes people who are capable of any means to achieve their goals, who are ready to go over their heads, who worship not their intelligence, but their position and wealth.
Conclusion
People similar to Khlestakov will always be in the world, it’s just that the goals and means of achieving them will change with the passage of time. I think Gogol realized that he would not be able to solve all social problems, but he hoped that educated people would be able to remake this world, which is now ruled by the Khlestakovs and the mayors of the city of N.
Works on comedy by N.V. Gogol's "The Inspector General":
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