لخّصلي

Why does Yosif disapprove of his master's behaviour?
Because he believes that his master can't manage his money well. He says that his master spends a lot of money on showing off, the theatre, cabs and loses a lot playing cards. After Hlestakov has lost his money, he is so broke that sometimes he has to sell his clothes.

Both the Mayor and Hlestakov were scared of each other. Discuss.
The Mayor and Hlestakov were scared of each other. The Mayor thought that Hlestakov was the
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  Government Inspector and made sure he was treated well. He treated him with respect and tried to please him in any way possible. Hlestakov felt that the landlord had complained to the Mayor and that he had come to arrest him for not paying his bill.

Why was Yosif hesitant about going down to the kitchen?
Hlestakov ordered Yosif to go down the kitchen to get him food. Yosif didn't want to go because he knew that they had not paid for the past two weeks. The landlord even threatened to contact the Mayor.

What did Hlestakov complain to the Mayor about?
Hlestakov complained to the Mayor that he was being treated badly. He complained that he was left to starve. When he was given food, it was bad quality meat and disgusting soup. The tea was so disgusting that it tasted like fish. He said that the room was filthy, damp, dark and had bugs.

Did Hlestakov take any money from the Mayor? Explain.
Hlestakov says that he has not even a copek. The Mayor thinks this is a bad way of asking for a bribe. Hlestakov asks for a loan, but the Mayor thinks it is a bribe he wants. Hlestakov wants 200 roubles to pay the innkeeper at once. The Mayor agrees, but secretly he slips him 400 instead.

What does Hlestakov tell the waiter in order to convince him to serve dinner?
Hlestakov tells the waiter that he has not had dinner yet and to hurry up with it because he has something he must do after dinner. When the waiter tells Hlestakov that he has been instructed not to serve him food, he says that he must eat or he'll grow very thin and he is not used to hunger.

Why was Hlestakov not satisfied with the dinner he was served?
Hlestakov said that the meal was only two courses (soup and chicken). When he tasted the soup, he said that it had no flavour and thought that it was made of dirty water. As for the chicken, he said that it was too hard like the bark of a tree. Once he finished eating, he said he felt like he had eaten nothing at all.

What reasons did Hlestakov give the Mayor for his trip to Saratov?
Hlestakov told the Mayor that he was going to his own estate in Saratov. Hlestakov said that his father had sent for him because he was annoyed that he hadn't been promoted in the service yet. Hlestakov's father seemed to think that the minute a person was employed in Petersburg, they got promoted.

Where did the Mayor send Dob with the letters? What did the letters say?
The Mayor sent Dob with two letters. One of the letters was to go to the Charity Commissioner warning him that the Inspector had arrived and to take the necessary precautions. As for the second letter, it was to go to the Mayor's wife. The Mayor ordered her in the letter to get the
guest room ready for the Inspector's stay.

What does the Mayor think of card playing? What was Hlestakov's response?
Hlestakov asked the Mayor if they ever play cards hoping he would get a positive response. The Mayor thought that this was a trick and immediately started speaking about the evils connected with playing cards. He said that playing cards was a waste of time. The Mayor answered in a way that he thought would please Hlestakov. However, Hlestakov thought that the game could be very
entertaining and he enjoyed it a lot.