"Petersburg Tales": a summary. Gogol, "Petersburg Tales"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In the years 1830-1840, a number of works were written about the life of St. Petersburg. Composed by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. The cycle "Petersburg Tales" consists of short, but quite interesting stories. They are called "The Nose", "Nevsky Prospekt", "Overcoat", Notes of a Madman" and "Portrait". The main motive in these works is the description of the image of the "little man", almost crushed by the surrounding reality.

The first piece from a wonderful cycle

How does the story of Nikolai Vasilyevich's popular cycle begin? Or where to start a summary? Gogol, whose "Petersburg Tales" consists of several works,put the story "Nevsky Prospekt" in first place in this series. It describes the adventures of two young people who, while fanning along Nevsky Prospekt, decided to hit on young beauties.

One of them was named Piskarev. He was an artist and a romantic. Therefore, seeing a certain brunette who immediately took a liking to him, he decided to follow her to the door of her house. But when I walked the lady to the place of residence, I realized that this was an ordinary brothel. The artist, embarrassed and disappointed, leaves this place.

Artist's decision or lover's mockery?

What does the work of Nikolai Vasilyevich tell about, its summary? Gogol, whose "Petersburg Tales" became quite famous, claims that the events described in the story "Nevsky Prospekt" actually happened. Time passed, but the artist realized that he could not forget the beautiful stranger. He decides to pull her out of the abyss of debauchery and marry her. To do this, he again returns to the house where the courtesan lives and tells her about his intentions.

But, unfortunately, the seventeen-year-old beauty did not appreciate Piskarev's high impulses. Moreover, she laughed at how he painted their life together. The artist is insanely upset, he returns to his home and locks himself there alone. A whole week passed before his lifeless body was found in the apartment. Unable to bear the disappointment, he cut his own throat. His funeral took place at the Okhta cemetery. Andno one noticed his friend there, Lieutenant Pirogov, with whom he walked along the avenue.

The Adventures of Pirogov, or Another Unhappy Love

What will the famous Petersburg story tell the reader about? Gogol very colorfully described the adventure of the lieutenant, who left Nevsky Square, following the beautiful blonde. He brought the beauty to the house of Schiller, who turned out to be the husband of this stranger. Having run into the rude behavior of the spouse on the first evening, the lieutenant does not lose hope and returns there the next day. He wants to hit on the beautiful wife of Schiller.

Some time passed, and one day the husband returned home and found his wife dancing and kissing Pirogov. Then he, drunk and angry, using the help of his no less tipsy comrades, whipped the lieutenant. Pirogov, jumping out of Schiller's dwelling, was full of intentions to take revenge, but, having calmed down a little, he changed his mind. This is the end of the story itself and its summary.

Gogol, whose "Petersburg Tales" consists of several works, presents the following story to the reader's judgment, it is called "The Nose".

The story of the missing body part

Waking up one morning, Major Kovalev went to the mirror and found that his nose was gone. He begins a thorough search for his missing body part. Even meets him on the street, dressed like a real state councillor. The nose did not want to talk to his owner, and he had to go to the police station.

Throughfor some time the loss was returned, but the nose did not want to grow back into place. Even the doctor didn't help. Tired and desperate, Major Kovalev went to bed, and the next morning he discovered the loss in the right place. Thus ends another Petersburg story.

Gogol, continuing the theme of the "little man", writes further a short story called "The Overcoat".

Akaky Akakievich, or Another "little character"

Bashmachkin was an unremarkable person. His job was to rewrite various papers. He received great pleasure from this, often even took them home, where, after a quick bite, he diligently continued to work. Colleagues around him at work constantly mocked him. Who will push, and who will just laugh. Akaki endured all ridicule meekly.

One day he realized that his overcoat had been worn out for a long time, and turned to the tailor, who said that there was no point in repairing it. I need to sew a new overcoat. And for this it was necessary to pay eighty rubles. Bashmachkin began to save on absolutely everything and literally raved about a new purchase. And finally got it. The new overcoat causes delight in others. Everyone praises the purchase. And Akaki Akakievich is infinitely happy.

But one day, having met hooligans on the street, Bashmachkin loses his overcoat. He was robbed. The unfortunate Akaki begins to search for his new clothes, turning to various authorities. But nowhere to find the truth, he dies from a fever that has seized him. Rumors spread around the city after this event,that some dead man wanders the streets and rips off everyone's greatcoats. And someone even recognized Bashmachkin in him.

"Notes of a madman", summary. Gogol, "Petersburg Tales"

One day Aksenty Poprishchin, going to work, suddenly heard a conversation between two small dogs, one of which belonged to the daughter of the head of the department where he worked. The dogs were walking with their owners. He was so surprised that he even followed them. And the next day he meets the daughter of his director, already in the service. He falls in love with a beautiful woman and secretly enters her house. There he intended to talk to a small dog, but she refused.

Then Aksenty went to the dwelling where the second dog lived, and stole from the corner where she slept, a pile of small pieces of paper. It turned out that it was the correspondence of small animals. From it he learned a lot of interesting facts. And, most importantly, the daughter of his boss has a lover. Gradually Aksenty brings himself unhappy love to madness. He begins to present himself as a very important and even secret heir to the throne.

And one more story from the cycle "Petersburg Tales" - "Portrait".

How money spoils a person

The story begins with a description of a poor artist, who even had nothing to pay for the apartment. But suddenly he became rich and completely changed. He became arrogant and harsh in conversations with some people who were poorer than him. Once upon seeing the paintingone of his former comrades, the artist realizes how far behind art he is.

He plunges into work, but nothing works. Then he begins to buy up all the famous masterpieces and destroys them in fits of anger and envy. Bringing himself to a fever, he dies. This ends the well-known cycle of works written by N. V. Gogol. "Petersburg stories" in brief only convey the main meaning of the stories. They are most interesting, of course, in the full edition.