In contrast to the gloomy title of the book, "Dead Souls," is actually a whimsical, if twisted romp with one 'Chichikov,' and his manservant, 'Pertrushka,' through provincial Czarist Russia in the mid 19th century. In what must be one of the greatest works of deadpan humor ever written, the entire purpose of Chichikov's extended journey is to buy surfs who've died since the last census, but are still listed on the landowners books, in order to somehow use them as collateral for loans. (He isn't buying the actual bodies of these deceased surfs, of course, just their names from the ledgers.)
The exact plan he has in mind is never more than hinted at in the book, so we're forced to speculate on the nature of the nefarious scheme he's concocting in that little head of his! I say "little head" because though Chichikov is convinced he's very clever, he's really not.
This ludicrous and murky adventure leads them from one farcical encounter to another with a panoply of Russian characters of the time, from the belligerent and impetuous Nozdryov, to various vacuous, self-important officials, to an over the top miser, named Plyushkin, who's gigantic estate is literally collapsing due to his insatiable need to hoard - everything.
Valiantly Chichikov struggles with the endless obstacles to this ridiculous quest with mixed success, and by the time it's over you suspect his whole plan will probably fall through. But no matter, no one really expects to accomplish anything within this hopelessly corrupt and nepotistic imperial order. You feel they are all just going through the motions.
As the book goes on we become aware that this Chichikov considers himself both a patriot and a serious man, and it is this dead pan humor, and the perfectly idiosyncratic way Gogol writes it that set this work apart from so much lesser comedy. Chichikov (and perhaps even Gogol himself!) see nothing either ridiculous, or dishonest, in this ludicrous scheme. An absurd little man, with an even more absurd little manservant whom must content himself with the scraps from his master's table, surrounded by people who's endeavors in life are equally petty, tawdry, and absurd, they seem perfectly content (when they aren't being beaten up or arrested). In fact they are quite taken with their importance. This dissonance, this dissociation from reality is what drives the humor. Humor that is somewhat subtle, but if you are open to it, it will leave you rolling on the floor in stitches.
Gogol, a real eccentric, was said to have taught history at a Russian University, and not to have had the vaguest idea what he was talking about. In later years he determined to make up for his "terrible mistake" of writing Dead Souls and not writing "a great patriotic work to glorify Mother Russia." He spent a decade or so attempting to write that work, and threw the result away. His genius was in seeing the foibles and absurdities of life with a hawk eye and not understanding that himself. Truth and hilarious wit were his instinctive genius as an author, but they were in revolt against his patriotic, pro-czarist, and Pro-orthodox self!
Being a staunch conservative and having written a book widely acclaimed as social satire worthy of Jonathan Swift, did not make poor Gogol a very happy man, and setting out to write the True Patriotic Book about Russia he failed utterly and the disappointment destroyed him. There was never a sadder case of a artist misunderstanding his own genius. Yet it resulted in one hell of a good comedy in 'Dead Souls!'
Brent Hightower
Copyright 2015 Brent Hightower
21stcenturyperceptions.blogspot.com
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