Postmaster Character Analysis

Ivan Kuzmich Shpekin is the postmaster. He is so simple-minded that he’s naïve. Out of curiosity, he opens and reads everyone’s mail. Sometimes, he even keeps letters for himself that are particularly enjoyable to read. At the mayor’s request, he cheerfully agrees to intercept any letters that might inform higher authorities about the mayor’s corruption. Like the other town officials, the postmaster is easily convinced that Khlestakov must be the government inspector. When asked, the postmaster happily gives Khlestakov a loan, leading Khlestakov to praise the postmaster’s decency and willingness to please. After Khlestakov leaves town, the postmaster reads Khlestakov’s letter for fear that Khlestakov has reported him to the authorities. By doing so, the postmaster becomes the first person to discover that Khlestakov is, in fact, not the government inspector, and he reports this news to the other town officials.