Dead Souls

In subsequent days, Chichikov’s new wealth and future fate are a source of major gossip and even consternation. The townspeople wonder how Chichikov can possibly resettle so many peasants in a new place, especially as most estate managers are criminals. Chichikov is a great favorite with the townspeople. Once rumors emerge Chichikov is wealthy, he becomes a matter of great interest to the aristocratic women, who deploy social mores as a subtext for great drama over unreturned social calls, are dedicated to fashionable dress and speaking French instead of Russian. He even receives a letter from a secret admirer, promising to reveal her identity at the governor’s next ball.

Preparing for the ball brings out Chichikov’s vain performative side:

A number of bows were performed towards the mirror, accompanied by vague sounds, in part resembling French, although Chichikov did not know a word of French. He even gave himself numerous pleasant surprises, raising an eyebrow, curling a lip, going so far as to try a few tricks with his tongue: to sum up, what won’t you try when you’re on your own and feeling happy with yourself—and, what is more, certain that nobody is going to take a look through a crack in the door? (3067-70).

At the event, even the governor greets Chichikov like a celebrity. The women in attendance have taken great pains with their appearance, and Chichikov wanders among them, hoping to identify his secret admirer. Chichikov greets his hostess, the governor’s wife and is captivated with a young woman by her side: the same teenager whose carriage collided with his barouche is the governor’s daughter. Awestruck, he loses himself in daydreams and ignores the pointed questions from other women or their efforts to show off their best features. Chichikov chases down the governor’s daughter, overcome: “even Chichikovs can for a few minutes turn into poets—though the word ‘poet’ might be going too far” (3208-09). Chichikov is not an especially skilled conversationalist, and the governor’s daughter becomes bored. Chichikov’s behavior angers the other women, but he does not notice—a lapse that will prove consequential.

Nozdryov bursts in drunk. He informs everyone present that Chichikov’s new wealth is in dead peasants. Despite the general knowledge that Nozdryov is a liar, the rumor soon gains currency.

Chichikov finds his good mood spoiled; he loses at cards, ignores conversations, and goes home early. He curses balls as shallow social undertakings, anxious that his lack of substantive social position has been unmasked. He blames the townspeople for his mistakes—scapegoating, the narrator reminds us, typical in moments of anger.

As Chichikov vents his spleen, a ramshackle overstuffed carriage is pulling up to town. Korobochka has arrived at the house of the town priests, anxious that Chichikov has cheated her.

The wife of the vice-governor is eager to impart urgent news to another aristocratic woman. The narrator concerned with avoiding scandal or any accusations, calls the news recipient “a lady pleasant in every respect” (3374). They debate fashion, nearly coming to blows over a dress pattern, before devoting themselves to Chichikov and the uproar he has caused. The narrator takes pains to emphasize that while some of their speech is in French, he will report it all in Russian, as his work is devoted to that language and nation.

They provide an exaggerated account of Korobochka’s visit to Chichikov: He arrived screaming about buying her dead peasants, who he insisted were alive on paper. They decide that Chichikov’s true mission must be Chichikov’s desire to elope with the governor’s daughter. They disparage this young woman’s speech, habits of dress, and possible use of cosmetics. They then deny they ever had any interest in Chichikov as a suitor.

The two women decide that Nozdryov must be Chichikov’s confederate in his kidnapping scheme. Convinced that what they have just invented is the true story, they proceed to take their indignation to everyone in town though it is not clear how the matter of peasant purchases and elopements are related: “Was he going to give her the dead souls as a present, then? [...] It’s not as if any of it made sense […] Still, it had been spread about, so there must have been a reason, right?” (3584-86).

Opinion is gendered. Women focus on the possible love affair between Chichikov and the governor’s daughter. They invent multiple narratives: Chichikov switching his affections from the governor’s wife to her daughter, or his secret first marriage that makes marriage impossible. The governor’s daughter finds herself a social pariah, and her mother bars Chichikov from the family residence.

The women attempt to convince their husbands that the dead souls are a mere pretext for this illicit romance, but men are more concerned about the fact that the emperor has appointed a governor-general for the area, whose mandate will no doubt involve exposing local corruption. They wonder whether Chichikov is this new official, and that maybe the dead souls are supposed to bring to light other local scandals, like peasants who murdered a local policeman for harassing their wives and daughters or feuding merchants whose deaths were recorded as accidental carbon monoxide poisoning rather than as the result of a brawl.

There are also rumors that an expert forger and a highwayman are in the area. Recalling that Chichikov said very little about himself, only that his life had involved setbacks and persecution, the men interrogate those around Chichikov. Korobochka denounces him for impersonating a civil servant. Manilov defends him passionately. Sobakevich insists all the peasants he sold were alive, though some might fall ill and die during their move to Ukraine. Chichikov’s servants only reveal that he had in fact been a government customs official. This is all less than fruitful: “All the searches undertaken by the officials only revealed that they were definitely ignorant of Chichikov’s identity, but that he certainly had to be somebody” (3701-02). They finally resolve to discuss the matter at the chief of police’s home.