Summary
Chichikov's carefully orchestrated departure from the town becomes a comedy of errors when his servant Selifan fails to prepare the carriage properly, forcing delays and repairs. As they finally escape the town, Chichikov encounters a funeral procession for the Public Prosecutor—a man whose death he coldly dismisses as meaningless. This moment triggers the novel's most crucial revelation: Gogol pulls back the curtain to reveal Chichikov's entire backstory. We learn of his impoverished childhood, his calculating father's advice to save every kopeck and befriend only the wealthy, and his methodical rise through various government positions. Each career ends in scandal—from his manipulation of a superior's daughter to gain promotion, to his spectacular downfall in the Customs Department where he made a fortune through smuggling schemes. Stripped of everything except ten thousand rubles and his servants, Chichikov conceived his audacious plan: to buy the names of dead serfs (still counted on tax rolls until the next census) and use them as collateral for loans. The scheme exploits a bureaucratic loophole while appearing to help landowners reduce their tax burden. Gogol masterfully reveals that Chichikov isn't simply a con man, but a product of a corrupt system that rewards cunning over virtue. The chapter transforms our understanding of the protagonist from mysterious stranger to calculating opportunist shaped by Russia's institutional failures.
Coming Up in Chapter 12
With Chichikov's master plan finally revealed, we return to find him continuing his journey across the Russian countryside, but his next encounter will test his scheme in ways he never anticipated.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Nevertheless events did not turn out as Chichikov had intended they should. In the first place, he overslept himself. That was check number one. In the second place, on his rising and inquiring whether the britchka had been harnessed and everything got ready, he was informed that neither of those two things had been done. That was check number two. Beside himself with rage, he prepared to give Selifan the wigging of his life, and, meanwhile, waited impatiently to hear what the delinquent had got to say in his defence. It goes without saying that when Selifan made his appearance in the doorway he had only the usual excuses to offer--the sort of excuses usually offered by servants when a hasty departure has become imperatively necessary. “Paul Ivanovitch,” he said, “the horses require shoeing.” “Blockhead!” exclaimed Chichikov. “Why did you not tell me of that before, you damned fool? Was there not time enough for them to be shod?” “Yes, I suppose there was,” agreed Selifan. “Also one of the wheels is in want of a new tyre, for the roads are so rough that the old tyre is worn through. Also, the body of the britchka is so rickety that probably it will not last more than a couple of stages.” “Rascal!” shouted Chichikov, clenching his fists and approaching Selifan in such a manner that, fearing to receive a blow, the man backed and dodged aside. “Do you mean to ruin me, and to break all our bones on the road, you cursed idiot? For these three weeks past you have been doing nothing at all; yet now, at the last moment, you come here stammering and playing the fool! Do you think I keep you just to eat and to drive yourself about? You must have known of this before? Did you, or did you not, know it? Answer me at once.” “Yes, I did know it,” replied Selifan, hanging his head. “Then why didn’t you tell me about it?” Selifan had no reply immediately ready, so continued to hang his head while quietly saying to himself: “See how well I have managed things! I knew what was the matter, yet I did not say.” “And now,” continued Chichikov, “go you at once and fetch a blacksmith. Tell him that everything must be put right within two hours at the most. Do you hear? If that should not be done, I, I--I will give you the best flogging that ever you had in your life.” Truly Chichikov was almost beside himself with fury. Turning towards the door, as though for the purpose of going and carrying out his orders, Selifan halted and added: “That skewbald, barin--you might think it well to sell him, seeing that he is nothing but a rascal? A horse like that is more of a hindrance than a help.” “What? Do you expect me to go NOW to the market-place and sell him?” “Well, Paul Ivanovitch, he is good for nothing but show, since...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Justified Corruption
How ordinary people gradually compromise their values through incremental betrayals, each rationalized as necessary for survival or success.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between legitimate problem-solving and self-serving justification by tracking the escalation of compromises.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you start a sentence with 'I had to...' or 'Everyone else does...'—these phrases often signal rationalization rather than genuine necessity.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Britchka
A light, four-wheeled Russian carriage used for long-distance travel. In this chapter, Chichikov's britchka needs constant repairs, symbolizing how his schemes are always breaking down and requiring quick fixes.
Modern Usage:
Like when your car always has something wrong with it, but you keep patching it up because you can't afford a new one.
Dead Souls Scheme
Chichikov's plan to buy the legal ownership of deceased serfs who are still counted on tax records until the next census. He uses these 'dead souls' as collateral to get loans, exploiting a bureaucratic loophole.
Modern Usage:
Similar to modern identity theft or credit fraud schemes that exploit gaps in record-keeping systems.
Kopeck
The smallest unit of Russian currency, like a penny. Chichikov's father taught him to save every kopeck, showing how poverty can create an obsession with money that drives all life decisions.
Modern Usage:
Like parents who lived through the Depression teaching kids to save every dollar, even when it leads to unhealthy relationships with money.
Customs Department Corruption
Government officials taking bribes to allow illegal goods through borders. Chichikov made his fortune by partnering with smugglers, showing how institutional corruption creates opportunities for personal gain.
Modern Usage:
Like modern scandals where government inspectors take kickbacks to overlook safety violations or environmental damage.
Social Climbing
Chichikov's systematic strategy of befriending only wealthy and powerful people while using others for advancement. His father explicitly taught him this approach as survival in a class-based society.
Modern Usage:
Like networking events where people only talk to those who can help their careers, or social media followers who chase influencers.
Bureaucratic Loophole
A gap in official rules or record-keeping that can be exploited for personal benefit. Chichikov's entire scheme depends on the lag time between when serfs die and when records are updated.
Modern Usage:
Like tax loopholes that let corporations avoid paying, or insurance technicalities that deny legitimate claims.
Characters in This Chapter
Chichikov
Protagonist/anti-hero
This chapter reveals his complete backstory - from his impoverished childhood to his systematic corruption in various government jobs. We learn he's not just a mysterious visitor, but a calculated schemer shaped by a corrupt system.
Modern Equivalent:
The smooth-talking consultant who's actually running a Ponzi scheme
Selifan
Chichikov's coachman/servant
His incompetence with the carriage repairs creates the delays that trap them in town longer. He represents the unreliable help that Chichikov must depend on, showing how even master manipulators need others.
Modern Equivalent:
The unreliable employee who always has an excuse when deadlines aren't met
Chichikov's Father
Formative influence (in flashback)
Taught young Chichikov to save every kopeck and only befriend the wealthy. His harsh lessons about money and social climbing created the calculating adult we see throughout the novel.
Modern Equivalent:
The parent who teaches their kid that money is everything and nice guys finish last
The Public Prosecutor
Deceased official
His funeral procession triggers Chichikov's backstory revelation. Chichikov's cold dismissal of the man's death shows his complete lack of empathy and reduction of people to their usefulness.
Modern Equivalent:
The boss everyone pretends to mourn but secretly celebrates is finally gone
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Save every kopeck, and befriend only those who can be of use to you"
Context: Advice given to young Chichikov that shaped his entire worldview
This quote reveals the root of Chichikov's calculating nature. His father's survival wisdom in a harsh class system created a man who sees all relationships as transactions and measures everything by profit.
In Today's Words:
Don't waste money on anyone who can't help you get ahead
"What is there to regret about him? The duties of a Public Prosecutor he never fulfilled"
Context: His dismissive reaction to learning of the Public Prosecutor's death
Shows Chichikov's complete lack of empathy and his reduction of human worth to professional usefulness. He can't even pretend to care about a man's death, revealing his fundamental disconnection from normal human emotion.
In Today's Words:
Why should I care? He was useless at his job anyway
"Blockhead! Why did you not tell me of that before, you damned fool?"
Context: His rage at Selifan for not preparing the carriage properly
Despite his smooth social facade, Chichikov's true nature emerges under pressure. His verbal abuse of servants shows the class contempt and explosive anger beneath his polished exterior.
In Today's Words:
Are you kidding me? Why didn't you tell me this earlier, you idiot?
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Chichikov's father teaches him to befriend only the wealthy, setting him on a path of calculating social climbing that shapes his entire worldview
Development
Evolved from earlier observations of class dynamics to reveal the psychological programming that creates class-obsessed behavior
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself treating people differently based on their perceived status or usefulness to your goals
Identity
In This Chapter
Chichikov's true identity is revealed as a product of systematic corruption rather than inherent evil—he became what the system rewarded
Development
Transforms from mysterious stranger to fully explained character, showing how identity forms through environmental pressures
In Your Life:
You might recognize how your own identity has been shaped by adapting to systems that reward certain behaviors over others
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
The corrupt system creates expectations that honest people are naive while clever manipulators are admired as 'smart'
Development
Deepens from earlier chapters to show how social expectations actively shape individual moral choices
In Your Life:
You might feel pressure to compromise your values because 'everyone else is doing it' or 'that's just how things work'
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Chichikov's 'growth' is actually moral regression disguised as learning to navigate the world more effectively
Development
Reveals the dark side of adaptation—sometimes we grow in directions that diminish rather than expand our humanity
In Your Life:
You might need to examine whether your own 'street smarts' or 'professional development' has come at the cost of your core values
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Every relationship in Chichikov's life becomes transactional—from romantic manipulation to servant loyalty bought with shared complicity
Development
Shows the ultimate cost of corruption: the inability to form authentic connections when everyone becomes a means to an end
In Your Life:
You might notice when you're calculating the usefulness of relationships rather than valuing people for themselves
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific events from Chichikov's past led him to create the dead souls scheme?
analysis • surface - 2
How did Chichikov's father's advice about money and relationships shape his entire approach to life?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today justifying small compromises that lead to bigger ethical violations?
application • medium - 4
What boundaries could someone set early in their career to avoid Chichikov's path of escalating corruption?
application • deep - 5
What does Chichikov's story reveal about how systems can gradually corrupt even well-intentioned people?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Own Compromise Points
Think about a situation where you bent a rule or compromised a value for what seemed like a good reason. Write down the initial compromise, what led to it, and any larger compromises that followed. Then identify what early warning signs you could watch for in similar future situations.
Consider:
- •Focus on the reasoning you used to justify the first small step
- •Notice how each compromise made the next one easier to rationalize
- •Consider what external pressures or rewards influenced your choices
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to choose between following rules and achieving something you wanted. What factors influenced your decision, and how do you feel about that choice now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 12: The Dreamer's Retreat
The coming pages reveal isolation can become both sanctuary and prison, and teach us good intentions without practical skills often fail. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.