Mayor: You know, I had a premonition: The whole of last night I kept dreaming

about two extraordinary rats… huge, black, things, monsters. They came up and
started sniffing around, then cleared off

Act One, just after presenting the news that a government inspector is coming to
the town incognito The black rats, for instance, could symbolize Khlestakov and
the Mayor, showing how they are both corrupt, or they could symbolize
Khlestakov and the genuine government inspector, hinting that there would be two.

“You don’t believe in God, for a start. And you never go to church. At least I’ve
still got my faith, and go to church every Sunday”

]Act One, criticizing the judge

Irony- whenever a person says something or does something that departs from
what they (or we) expect them to say or do.

it is ironic that the Mayor claims to be more righteous than the judge because of
his religion, as it is apparent to the audience that he is similarly corrupt.

Khlestakov: Yes I do enjoy eating. After all, what's life for, but to graze among
pleasure's blooms?

Food Motif A motif is a symbolic image or idea that appears frequently in a story.
Motifs can be symbols, sounds, actions, ideas, or words. Motifs strengthen
a story by adding images and ideas to the theme present throughout the narrative.

Motif: Eating and Drinking

Khlestakov is incessantly talking about food, eating food, referring to people in

terms of food, reminiscing about food, and so on. He is an excessive gourmand,
deriving pleasure from eating and stuffing himself to the brim. He eats even when
he does not like the food, works himself into a tizzy when he cannot have it, and
uses food imagery as part of his bragging about his fancy life. This obsession it
allows us to see how debauched and dedicated to base pleasures Khlestakov is.
selfishness and greediness.

Mayor: we haven't any clubs of that sort, wouldn't of them. I've never picked up a
cord in my life, wouldn't even know how to play. I can't bear to look at them.
Deception is practised by majority of the characters in the play (Mayor, Judge,
Warden, Anna, Marya etc.). This goes hand in hand with corruption. Deception. In
an aside the warden (I think!) reveals that the mayor plays cards all the time.

“Oh, he’s a general all right, and then some”

Act Three, to one of the Mayor’s servants Irony- it is ironic that it is the lowly
servants that have the most awareness as to the true situation, highlighting Gogol’s
satire of the upper class.

Mayor: so what are you laughing at, eh? You're laughing at yourselves that's what!
Direct reference to the purpose of the play, social criticism- those that are laughing
at the play are in a sense, laughing at themselves.

The audience is typically addressed directly with the lines. The inclusion of this
line is also intended to provoke audience reflection on whether they share the same
shortcomings and defects as the characters they have been watching and laughing
at,