Dead Souls

In the novel, characters structure their environments to reflect their innermost qualities—so much so that Chichikov often gets his first read of a prospective landowner mark based on his or her property’s state and appearance. Manilov’s gazebo carries the sign “The Temple of Solitary Contemplation” as befits his dreamy habits (359-60). Sobakevich’s blocky wood furniture resembles its bearish owner. Kostanzhoglo’s prosperous farm is immediately distinguishable from Khlobuyev’s wreck of a property.

As befits a cipher whose main role is exposing the foibles and follies of others, Chichikov owns no land or home. His most important property is his valise, in which he secretes the documents of his dead soul fraud scheme. Chichikov repeatedly dreams of marriage and a family estate, claiming to Murazov that ”twice I was on the point of buying a village” (6838). However, like the traditional picaresque character trope that he is based on, Chichikov remains a “frail vessel adrift on furious waves” (636—the only constant environment in his life is his unreliable, often directionless carriage. Chichikov, unlike the other characters, is in perpetual motion—his nature is in the eye of the beholder, changing at any time.