Summary of "Diary of a Madman". The main characters and the theme of Nikolai Gogol's story "Diary of a Madman"

Gogol's mystical works are known, perhaps, to everyone. Unfortunately, few have read stories touching on acute social topics. Therefore, not everyone will be able to retell the summary of the "Diary of a Madman" - a work in which it is not so much about the loss of reason as about the mores of Russian society in the nineteenth century. What is this story about? Who is her main character? Analysis and summary of the "Diary of a Madman" is the topic of the article.

History of creation

"Notes of a Madman" is a story that had a different title in its original version. The work was published in 1835. It was included in the collection "Arabesque" under the title "Scraps from the notes of a madman."

According to the writer's correspondence, which was scrupulously studied by literary critics, in the thirties he was fascinated by the work of Odoevsky. This author is a prominent representative of Russian romanticism. He, in turn, wrote most of his works under the influence of the books of Hoffmann and Schelling. Shortly before Gogol began to create the story, which is discussed in this article, the collection "House of the Mad" was published. The theme of madness inspired Nikolai Vasilyevich.

In 1834, Gogol decided to write a comedy about Russian officials. But a number of plot and stylistic details intended for this work, the writer used in the composition "Notes of a Madman". The story tells about a man striving for career growth and other life benefits, but due to many disappointments gradually losing his mind.

The reader might never have read the "Diary of a Madman" if the author of this story had been less critical of the bureaucratic world. One can understand how he saw the life of employees of an ordinary office from the famous "Overcoat". But, unlike this work, the story "Notes of a Madman" does not contain any mysticism. The main characters, however, resemble characters from the story of the unfortunate Bashmachkin.

The main character of the "Diary of a Madman" is the forty-two-year-old official Poprishchin Aksenty Ivanovich. He holds an ordinary bureaucratic position. Poprishchyn's duties include cleaning feathers for the director of the department. By the way, the name of this hero is symbolic. After all, Aksenty Ivanovich is not satisfied with his position. He dreams of another job, dreams of a suitable field for himself.

The writer continued the theme of the suffering of the "little man" in the story "Notes of a Madman". Gogol told in this work about what a person who suffers from want, envy and oppression of colleagues can reach. Poprishchina has no family. His position is titular counselor. Poprishchin is chronically short of money, and therefore he wears an old overcoat made of third-rate cloth. Gogol's work is based on the notes of the protagonist. Aksenty Ivanovich pours out on paper his experiences associated with unrequited love and work that does not bring either moral or financial satisfaction.

Poprishchina's state of mind is gradually deteriorating. First, he begins to communicate with the dog, then miraculously receives letters from her. And after that, he even presents himself as the king of Spain. When a poor official is sent to an insane asylum, he is completely immersed in his own fantasies.

His notes become chaotic. The dates in them clearly speak of insanity. The last phrase in Poprishchin's diary does not make any sense. In it, a sick man mentions a certain Algerian deed.

This is the summary of the "Diary of a Madman". Poprishchin's confused reasoning can make the reader smile. But this story, despite the unique Gogol satire, has a rather sad plot. What topics did the author raise in the book "Diary of a Madman"?

Analysis of the work

According to Belinsky, this story is one of the most profound in the work of Gogol. In the "Notes of a Madman", the state of a sick person is described with amazing reliability. But the author's goal was not to portray madness. The writer strove in this story to show the squalor of the bureaucratic environment. He succeeded. In the story "Notes of a Madman," Gogol portrayed the empty, spiritless existence of a typical representative of the bureaucratic class.

Origin Poprischina

The hero of the story is in a depressed state already at the beginning of the plot. The diagnosis with which he ends up in the hospital is delusions of grandeur. The reader sees some signs of this disease after reading the first pages of the book. Poprishchin is incredibly proud of his noble origins. Moreover, he firmly believes that only an aristocrat can do such an important matter as rewriting documents. These absurd thoughts become harbingers of a serious illness. The state of the official is aggravated by falling in love with the boss's daughter. Gradually Poprishchin begins to see what in reality does not exist.

Meji and Fidel

If the arguments about the noble origin can be explained by the stupidity and lack of education of the hero, then his communication with dogs leaves no doubt about the progressive mental illness.

Poprishchin spends his leisure time, like any other official of his level: he reads periodicals, visits the theater. But failures happen more and more often at work. The hero of the story becomes a victim of attacks from the authorities. He often confuses something, cannot cope with even simple duties. And one day, suddenly, a dog's correspondence falls into his hands. Of course, Maji's letters are nothing more than a figment of his fevered imagination. Suffering from schizophrenia, Poprishchin begins to live in a world of dreams and fantasies. And the further, the more difficult it is for him to get used to his social position. In the opinion of Aksenty Ivanovich, he occupies a pitiful position unfairly. He would be a general ... Then he would take revenge on all his offenders!

Spanish king

Schizophrenia is a disease that in most cases is inherited. But Gogol was a writer, not a psychiatrist. In his story, the Russian prose writer told the story of a man whose illness was caused by wounded pride, a manic desire to occupy a high position in society.

Ideas about their own capabilities are at odds with reality. Poprishchin is confident that he must occupy an important, responsible position. Since those around him do not share his views, he appoints himself. From now on, he is the king of Spain. It is noteworthy that in the role of the royal personage Poprishchin is incredibly wise and humane.

The funny and the tragic are intertwined in Gogol's story. One of the critics, contemporaries of the writer, called "Notes of a Madman" a work that is worthy of Shakespeare in depth and philosophicality.