Dead Souls Book StudyDead Souls It is a classic novel by Nikolai Gogol and is considered an exemplar of 19th century Russian literature. Russian literature of the 19th century provided insight into the flaws and flaws of the Russian people of that period, and Gogol masterfully portrayed these flaws through his characters. The story focuses on the historical setting, having been written after the French invasion of Russia, and the thoughts of the war still fresh in the minds of the citizens. furthermore this was a time when indentured service, called serfs, was prominent in Russia. The book also touches on the political context, where the people with the most servants are the most powerful in the nation. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol is a book that really helps you understand what Russia was like in the 19th century, while also introducing people to the historical setting and politics of the time. The era in Russia is perfectly represented in Dead Souls. The reason why the book is called Dead Souls is Interesting and also tells how people thought in Russia in the 19th century. Dead Souls is about servants, whose souls are considered owned by their master, and the master must pay taxes on the servant. However, the Russian authorities very rarely carry out censuses, so serfs who die are considered "dead souls" because the master still has to pay taxes on them because a new census has not been completed, so they are still considered alive by the Russian authorities. The plot involves the main character going around purchasing these "dead souls" to appear rich and thus become even richer. This title, as unimportant as it may seem, provides some background on what Russia was really like in the 19th century. There is a clear separation... half of the paper... ics and it corrupts the entire system. Politics in 19th century Russia was dominated by people who didn't belong there, and they just seemed rich, signifying how similar politics really were in 19th century Russia. Russia was a different place in Dead souls, which took place in the 19th century, as we know it today. telling the time frame of the book and describing the politics of the time, Dead souls is a masterpiece written by Google. The story easily tells what the time was like and what people were like, how they behaved and what is important to them. This is what the book does so well, and what makes Dead Souls a classic of Russian literature. Work cited Gogolʹ, Nikolaĭ Vasilʹevich and Bernard Guilbert Guerney. Dead souls. New York: Modern Library, 1965. Print.