N. V. Gogol, "Notes of a Madman": a summary of the plot

Creativity NV Gogol most significantly influenced the literature of the XIX century. He had a rather peculiar vision of the surrounding world - fantastic, mystical, satirical, grotesque. The work "Notes of a Madman" shows life as if through a curved mirror, which allows you to completely from another side to consider the processes taking place in the then society. Due to this, other manifestations in it are evaluated differently, which often escapes human attention.

The story "Notes of a Madman" is one of the most tragic works in the series "Petersburg Stories". Here, almost all the characters either go mad, or die in an unequal struggle with the conditions of cruel reality. All this fills Gogol "Notes of a Madman". The summary of this work, of course, does not give a full scope of sensations. That is why it is necessary to read the original text.

Gogol, "Notes of a Madman". Summary

The protagonist of the work - 42-year-old Aksenti Ivanovich Poprichchin - works in the Petersburg department as a titular counselor. Already for four months he has been keeping his strange notes. On one of the rainy days, on Tuesday, October 3, 1833, he went to work in the hope of asking the treasurer for a salary in advance. The weather was nasty, it was raining. Suddenly Poprishchin saw that near the store, past which he was passing, the carriage stopped, from which the daughter of the director of the department Sophie emerged like a bird. He somehow immediately wrapped up and embarrassed his appearance, his greatcoat had something of his old style, and was stained with mud.

Doggy Medgy

The dog barely barely managed to jump into the store for the mistress and stayed outside. Aksenti Ivanovich recognized this dog, her name was Meji. At the same moment, there were other ladies with a dog named Fidel, who began to sniff Meji and spoke with her in a friendly way. Poprishchin was surprised that he understood dog's speech. But then he found in this his scientific explanation, since in the newspapers he already read about such miracles, about the talking fish and the cow.

He was more interested in the fact that Meggie was questioning her friend about her letters. This fact was very intriguing to the titular councilor, because he believed that only a nobleman can write, merchants and the serf people can only mechanically add, without points, commas and syllables. Then Аксентий has decided to go behind this собачоонкою and two ladies to learn, where they live, and then to learn from Фидель that writes Меджи about the mistress. As it turned out, they all live in the house of Zverkov at Kokushkin's bridge.

Sophie

The next day he came to the chief's office early to fix all his feathers. And suddenly, face to face, he encounters his daughter. Sophie asked about her papa and accidentally dropped the handkerchief. Poprishchin immediately picked him up and plainly could not utter a word. Then she quietly left. Then the footman came and said that Aksenti Ivanovich also went home, since the chief had already left.

At home, he almost all the time lay on the bed, writing poems like those of Pushkin. Then in the evening, wrapped in his greatcoat, he went to the door of the chief, to once again at least glimpse his beautiful daughter. However, this did not happen.

Growing passion

Soon everyone in the department noticed Poprishchina's great passion for the director's daughter. And then the head of the department invited him to him and chastised him for obscene behavior. Аксентий Иванович has decided, that the chief simply envies to him because to it 42 years, he the nobleman and can дощиться even before the colonel.

Poprishchin dreamed of Sophie, he so wanted to look into the keyhole of her room and see how it is there, and in what luxury she lives there. And then it dawned on him - he remembered the conversation of two dogs. Then he went to that address and decided to interrogate the dog Fidel. And, maybe, he will be able to intercept the letters of Meji. So all also happens. He went into Zverkov's house and went up to the floor. The door to him was opened by a girl with freckles, she was at a loss from what he saw, because Poprishchin immediately went to the basket and took the papers hidden in it. The dog tried to bite him, but everything was in vain.

In the evening he already enjoyed correspondence. From there, he learns a lot about his director and about his daughter Sophie, for whom, for some reason, the camera-cadet began courting. Aksenti Ivanovich was immediately so upset that he ripped all the papers to shreds.

The Spanish King and the Shameful Inquisition

And then Gagol "Notes of a Madman" saturates the real tragedy. The summary begins to describe the main fatal event. Once, on December 5, Poprishchin reads the news and learns about the abolition of the Spanish throne and about the fact that now the Donna must ascend to the throne. Poprischin thought that the king had disappeared, and began to look for him, and then decided that he was the King of Spain, Ferdinand VIII. He even made himself a robe and began to wait for the Spanish deputies. Confused in his thoughts, he completely forgot about the time and the work that he had not been for three weeks already. Then all the same he came there, but when the chief came in, he did not even think of getting up, and on the paper where the director of the department signed, he signed the signature - Ferdinand VIII. Then he made his way to the director's office where Sophie was, and told her that she would be happy with him, even despite the machinations of numerous enemies.

Soon, Aksenti Ivanovich Popryschin was fired from his job. And after a while it seemed to him that his royal suite was behind him, but they were the orderlies from the madhouse. Then he inspired himself that he fell into the hands of the Inquisition, which tortures him and scoffs at him in every possible way. He was shaved, struck with a stick, and he was already shouting about his unwillingness to be king.

"Diary of a Madman". Analysis

When Nikolai Vasilyevich came to Petersburg, he learned from his own experience about the plight of officials. The story of "Notes of the Madman" Gogol wrote in this terrible and insane city, in which there is no life for his hero, Aksentiy Ivanovich Poprishchin. After all, he has become both a creation and a victim of this world, like many others.

Deep meaning is filled with the story "Notes of a Madman". An analysis of it gives a complete picture of that time. Everything is confused and biased, justice and reason are trampled, where whole tragedies are played out. All this and "adorns" Gogol "Notes of a Madman". The brief content of this work clearly points to all aspects of social inequality and humiliation, perversion of moral principles and rules, traumatizing the delicate and vulnerable psyche of Poprishchina.