Previous
Summary
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Government Inspector, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Corruption and Bureaucracy
Greed, Selfishness, and Pleasure
External Validation
Self-Deception
Summary
Analysis
Scene 1. In a small Russian town, the mayor has assembled members of the local government in his house. He announces with dismay that an incognito government inspector from St. Petersburg will soon arrive to investigate them. The other men are alarmed. The mayor says he had a premonition of this situation last night, when he dreamed about enormous rats in the town. The mayor explains he received warning of the government inspector from a trusted relative, who wanted the mayor to be able to cover up the “odd little peccadillo” before the inspector’s arrival.
In the Russian Empire at this time (the 1830s), a government inspector’s job was to report on corruption and inefficiency in the provinces. So, the town officials’ fear of being investigated indicates that they’re guilty of wrongdoings they’d prefer to keep covered up. From the outset, then, it’s clear that political corruption is pervasive in this town. If it’s common knowledge that the mayor commits minor crimes every now and then, there are likely larger problems with the local government as well. It’s ironic that the mayor views the rumored government inspector as a rat, when he’s the real “rat” for his dishonest and immoral behavior.
Themes
The judge worries that the inspector’s visit means that Russia is going to war and the government is looking for traitors. The mayor rebukes him for jumping to ridiculous conclusions. Then the mayor instructs the Warden of Charities to make the charity hospital look presentable, so the inspector doesn’t think it’s poorly run. The mayor asks the judge—who openly admits to taking bribes—to clean up the courthouse, and he tells the Inspector of Schools to better control the teachers, who might offend the inspector with subversive ideas. The mayor fears he and his fellow officials will suddenly be caught in their misconduct.
The judge doesn’t see how he and the other town officials are at fault, so he overlooks the obvious reason for the inspector’s visit—their own blatant corruption—and speculates wildly instead. However, it’s plain that all the officials poorly manage the town’s institutions to the townspeople’s detriment. The judge himself cares more about his own pleasure than duty, which is why he’s so eager to take bribes. Importantly, the mayor doesn’t actually want to improve the local government: he only wants to hide evidence of corruption temporarily so the officials won’t get into trouble. The mayor’s panicked scrambling to look good in front of the inspector is comically futile, considering how extensive his maladministration is.
Themes
Scene 2. The postmaster enters. Already aware of the news about the government inspector, he exclaims that Russia must be going to war. Again, the mayor dismisses that foolish idea and reminds everyone that they are the ones in trouble. The mayor asks the postmaster to open all letters to find out if anyone has informed on him. The postmaster, who always reads people’s mail out of curiosity, promises to detain any letters complaining about the town’s governance. The judge warns they’ll get into trouble for intercepting letters, but the mayor says they’ll keep it secret.
Once again, the postmaster displays the town officials’ tendency to look anywhere but at their own faults when he blames the inspector’s visit on an imaginary war. Also, like the other officials, the postmaster is foolishly incompetent at his duty. He prioritizes his own simple-minded pleasure over performing his job properly. Instead of reprimanding the postmaster, the mayor encourages the postmaster’s crimes in order to protect himself, which further proves the mayor’s corruption.
Themes
Scene 3. Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky arrive in a rush with astonishing news. Constantly interrupting each other, they reveal that when they stopped at the inn to eat earlier, they saw a young official from St. Petersburg there. Despite being on his way to Saratov province, this official named Khlestakov has been staying in the inn for two weeks. Bobchinsky declares that Khlestakov must be the government inspector. The mayor is terrified that the inspector has already arrived and resolves to go to the inn to smooth things over with him. As the officials leave, the Warden of Charities worries the inspector will discover that the charity hospital patients aren’t being fed properly.
Although Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky identify Khlestakov as the government inspector without sure evidence, the town officials believe them without question. The officials’ fear of the inspector is strong enough to convince them that the inspector is indeed already here. As a result, the corrupt officials immediately focus on winning Khlestakov over and concealing their considerable misdeeds from him rather than first confirming whether Khlestakov is really the inspector or not.
Themes
Get the entire The Government Inspector LitChart as a printable PDF.
Scene 4. The constable Svistunov has prepared a carriage for the mayor. The other constable the mayor summoned is absent because he’s drunk and unfit for duty. Distressed, the mayor complains that his sword is scratched and blames the shopkeeper Abdulin for not sending him a new one. He orders Svistunov to clean the streets around the inn and chastises him for taking bribes above his rank.
The mayor’s damaged sword symbolizes both the mayor’s authority, which is tarnished by his immorality, and the town’s wider political corruption, which the mayor enables. Instead of recognizing his responsibility for the town’s poor administration, the mayor blames other people’s disloyalty. Additionally, the mayor’s interaction with Svistunov reveals the corruption of the police as well. The mayor isn’t concerned that constables abuse their power—he’s only concerned that constables take too much from townspeople, leaving little for higher-ranking officials to steal. Finally, the mayor’s request for the constables to clean only around the inn where the inspector is supposedly staying demonstrates the mayor’s resistance to making any substantial improvements to the town. He’ll only make superficial changes for appearance’s sake to avoid being caught by the inspector.
Themes
Scene 5. The mayor orders the Chief of Police to station constables around town to make a good impression. Accidentally putting a box on his head instead of a hat, the mayor prays to God for help, promising to bully shopkeepers for enough wax to light an enormous candle in church. The mayor also tells the Chief of Police to correct the misbehavior of the constables and soldiers.
Again, the mayor wants to look like a good mayor without actually performing his duties well. Only as an afterthought does the mayor suggest that the Chief of Police should better control the disorderly and violent constables. The police’s misconduct and the mayor’s indifference both testify to the town’s widespread corruption that can’t be hidden by superficial measures. While the mayor carries himself seriously, he’s portrayed as a foolish bully. The audience is encouraged to laugh at the mayor’s stupidity and to be unsympathetic when the mayor prays for help, since his sincerity is undermined by his intention to keep bullying townspeople.
Themes
Scene 6. Anna Andreyevna shouts for her husband, the mayor. She reproaches her daughter, Marya Antonovna, for vainly fussing about her appearance and wasting time, then queries about the government inspector’s looks and rank. The mayor promises to answer her later and departs. Anna Andreyevna irritably shouts at the housekeeper to chase after the mayor’s carriage and find out about the inspector.
Once the town officials believe Khlestakov is the government inspector, everyone around them also believes it and gets drawn into the excitement surrounding the inspector’s presence. Anna Andreyevna’s demands to know all about the inspector are self-centered and also hypocritical. Anna scorns her daughter’s vanity, but she herself cares mostly about the inspector’s appearance and social status, which reveals her own vanity and shallowness.
Themes
