Dead Souls

Dead Souls is a seminal poem by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809—1852), combining elements of satire and deep philosophical reflection on the destiny of Russia. The main character, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, embarks on an adventurous undertaking—the purchase of deceased serfs (dead souls) from landowners, allowing him to get rich on paper. Each character embodies various vices of society: the idle dreamer Manilov, the dissolute and unprincipled Nozdrev, the coarse and cruel Sobakevich, the limited and stubborn Korobochka, and the miserly and suspicious Plyushkin.