Article

Name: «Mind Is Everything, and Mind Is Everywhere»: Gogol’s Motif in Krechinsky’s Philosophy

Authors: Ekaterina G. Paderina

Russian Classical Literature Department of Institute of World Literature named after Maxim Gorky RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation

In the section Literary Life of the Plot

Abstract: Sukhovo-Kobylin has been for long recognized as the successor of Gogol-comedian, but this scientific topic is still outlined only in the thesis (satirical point of view and tragicomic way of reflecting Russian reality). Meanwhile, the artistic concept of the first Sukhovo-Kobylin’s comedy and his trilogy generally is based on a serious and thoughtful dialogue with Gogol about the actual problems of Russian life. In particular, the article deals with the important problem (according to the opinion of both playwrights), the problem of self-consciousness of the Russian man – the correlation of the concepts of “mind” and “cheating”. The closer ties of these concepts in one literary motif of Russian Comedy are known by Griboyedov’s comedy. Gogol also considered different options of the convergence of these two concepts in the lives of many of his characters, including Chichikov. The article author’s attention is focused on Gogol’s “Gamblers” and Krechinskiy’s “Wedding” by Sukhovo-Kobylin where the motif is immersed in the theme of cheating in the card game and in life. “Smart” cheats and sharpers of Gogol belong to different generations, and in the final of “Gamblers” (1842) the system of values of already independent Ikharev and young unsophisticated Glov is debunked. Both of them have to face the new life choice. That is the way the comedian expressed his concern about the fate of the young personalities’ generation. In his last book (“Selected fragments from correspondence with friends”, 1847) Gogol anxiously contemplated on the fate of Russia, blaming the modern Russian man in the willingness to be known even as a cheat, but not as a fool. Krechinskiy is Ikharev of his own generation. Although he is smarter and more practical, and his ambitions are much greater, the comedy collision of the Sukhovo-Kobylin’s hero is similar to Iharev’s one: his philosophy is also based on the priority of the mind (“Mind is everything, and mind is everywhere”); the mind is also associated with cheating, and in the final the main hero also fails. Besides, Sukhovo-Kobylin denies the prospects of choice that are proposed by Gogol to the generation of young personalities. Krechinskiy at the moment of fiasco has no doubts about his philosophy. Rasplyuev and Muromskiy bring out two possible destinies for Ikharev, but the author evaluates negatively not only the life of Rasplyuev, the unlucky sharper, he does not also see any prospects in Muromskiy’s life choice to be a successful landlord. The fate of Gogol's card players and adventurists in the changed historical circumstances of the 1850s in the first play of the Sukhovo-Kobylin’s trilogy appears to be unattractive.

Keywords: Sukhovo-Kobylin, Gogol, comedies, generations, knaves, card sharps, the motif of “mind”

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