Summary
The next section begins with the people traveling to the house of the chief of the police. The narrator notes that these committees of people are never very well assembled and frequently struggle to reach any sort of meaningful consensus. The postmaster of the town speculates that Chichikov might be a man named Captain Kopeikin. He then recounts the story of Captain Kopeikin, noting that he is a character worthy of his own epic narrative.
The man says that Captain Kopeikin was a veteran of the conflict of 1812 who lost his leg and arm. He arrives in Saint Petersburg and attends a gathering with various notable officials, hoping to get an audience with a prominent general. Kopeikin speaks with him briefly at the party, saying he hopes to be compensated for his service to his country. The general tells him to return in a few days. When Kopeikin does so the general informs him that there is nothing to be done to help him, as he needs monarchal approval.
Kopeikin then travels to the palace to seek the approval of the emperor. He speaks with a major official who tells him the emperor will arrive soon but that he must wait for his arrival to receive help. The postmaster reveals that Kopeikin later became the leader of a gang of highway robbers. Someone then interrupts the postmaster's story to say that it is unlikely that Chichikov is Kopeikin because he does not have a peg leg.
The narrator then notes that while the townspeople knew that Nozdriov was a well-known liar, they couldn't help but believe some part of what he said about Chichikov. Nozdriov then tells a fabricated story about Chichikov having a bunch of forged banknotes in his room that he supposedly hid from the local authorities. He adds that Chichikov already has a wedding scheduled at a local chapel. These stories add to the mounting suspicion surrounding Chichikov.
People are overwhelmed by this influx of information. In particular, the prosecutor is so overwhelmed by these stories that he has a heart attack and suddenly dies. Chichikov is unaware that any of this is happening, as he is laid up in bed with a chill. Chichikov gets dressed and heads out to see the governor's daughter. However, when he arrives at her house he is told that he has been forbidden to enter. He goes elsewhere and is given similarly harsh rejections. He learns he has been accused of forgery and a kidnapping plot. He decides to leave town and prepares to depart.
Chichikov departs town with Selifan. He is in a bad mood as they get on their way. Chichikov is delayed by the procession of the prosecutor's funeral. He then turns a corner and gets onto emptier streets. Chichikov is overcome with emotion as he looks out on Russia. He becomes fascinated with the road before him and completely devotes his attention to it.
The narrator pauses to then take note of the fact that Chichikov is not a very likely or likable hero. He gives some background on his personal history, noting that he comes from a modest background and was instructed by his father to ingratiate himself with wealthy people. He showed an aptitude for flattery and business dealing from a young age, charming his teachers and selling things to other kids at his school. The narrator goes on to detail the various schemes Chichikov has been involved in over the years. Chichikov suddenly rouses Selifan who has been sleeping at the wheel. He tells him to drive faster and suddenly Selifan gets the carriage moving quickly. The narrator compares the image of the carriage hurtling through space to the future of Russia.
Analysis
Bureaucracy and gossip reappear as themes in this part of the novel, as the people of the town quickly prove unable to band together effectively. While everyone is angry about the distinct possibility that Chichikov is a scoundrel, no one can quite come to an agreement about what he has done. This confusion becomes so stressful and overwhelming that it literally kills the town prosecutor. This moment of chaos is indicative of an early comment made by the narrator. He says that committees in Russia often devolve into infighting and fail to get anything done. In this instance, that proves to be somewhat true, as the town is quickly whipped up into a frenzy but struggles to actually execute a plan of action. Likewise, they have difficulty establishing what has actually happened, as some people believe Nozdriov's stories more than others. Their internal divisions are indicative of the way the local government fails to come together to solve problems, as they are bogged down by false rumors and petty differences of opinion.
The future of Russia also appears again as a theme in this part of the book. The Captain Kopeikin narrative indicates the struggles that members of Russian society are facing, and the generally difficult state of political affairs in Russia at the time. Captain Kopeikin fought in the War of 1812 against Napoleon. He loses an arm and a leg in the conflict and is unable to get any kind of financial assistance from the government. He turns to a life of crime to make up for this loss. The tragic arc of his story reveals the way in which the Russian monarchy fails to take care of vulnerable people like Kopeikin. This is made even more egregious considering the fact that Kopeikin plays a key role in defending Russia from a French invasion. Through this story, Gogol is able to suggest that Russia's future, if it stays on its current course, looks grim.
The future of Russia also appears in the narrator's description of a troika, a large, horse-drawn carriage. At the end of the first section, the narrator describes a troika hurtling through space very quickly. He compares this carriage to Russia, moving rapidly towards its future, with no clear destination. In this way, the narrator, and Gogol, describe how Russia is both undergoing a fast-paced transformation while also taking note of the fact that its changes will likely have unclear or unexpected consequences. This closing image effectively encapsulates Gogol's idea of Russia's future, as he only seems to believe that it is about to undergo a dramatic shift.
The purpose of writing is also revisited in this part of the book. Towards the end of the eleventh chapter, the narrator notes that Chichikov is an unlikely hero. He anticipates that the reader will be somewhat baffled as to why he was chosen as the protagonist, as he is not very likable or kind. What the narrator then says is that people like Chichikov must be written about, as the human soul contains complex and unappealing things. He adds that the reader might see some of themselves in his follies and flaws. In this way, the narrator describes how a desired goal of writing is to create empathy and understanding for all aspects of humanity—even the things that may seem difficult or unpleasant to discuss. By writing about Chichikov, the narrator and Gogol are able to explore more nuanced areas of his motivations, diving into his greed, selfishness, and adaptability with a strong measure of empathy.
These chapters are the conclusion of the first part of the novel. While unfinished as a trilogy, the novel is modeled on Dante's Inferno and this section represents the end of Chichikov's journey through the "hell" portion of the narrative. His various dealings with the landowners and his eventual ousting from town on the basis of Nozdriov's lies, show that his journey was essentially a circular one. He came to town with nothing and leaves town with basically nothing. He encounters the darkest parts of the human soul and then returns to normal life.
