N.V. GOGOL'S "MARRIAGE" AS A MULTIFACETED SOCIAL SATIRE: CHARACTER SYSTEM AND ARTISTIC

The article analyzes N.V. Gogol's comedy "Marriage" as a social satire of Russian society in the 1830s. It traces the evolution from the domestic comedy "The Suitors" to the sharper social satire "Marriage." The study highlights Gogol's skill in depicting typical characters: the indecisive bureaucrat Podkolyosin, the schemer Kochkarev, the calculating bride Agafya Tikhonovna, and the practical matchmaker Fekla. It emphasizes the "double-relief" character system and the use of satirical devices for social criticism, where characters act as "doubles" in ineffective relationships. The author demonstrates that, through the marriage plot, Gogol critiques societal vices: lack of spirituality, mercantilism, and the commercialization of marriage.