What is the central idea of The Overcoat?
Nikolai Gogol’s short story, The Overcoat employs various themes, such as the working class, social standing and fate, the idea of possessing a desirable possession, and a Christ figure. From a Christian perspective, it points out the brokenness and sin embedded in characters.
What is the story overcoat about?
The story narrates the life and death of titular councillor Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin (Russian: Акакий Акакиевич Башмачкин), an impoverished government clerk and copyist in the Russian capital of St. Petersburg. Although Akaky is dedicated to his job, he is little recognized in his department for his hard work.
What is the meaning of The Overcoat by Gogol?
The overcoat then becomes a stand-in for a lover for Akaky, as he treats it with tenderness and adoration, and when he receives it he feels “as if he were married.” Ultimately, the overcoat itself is such a complex symbol, and so simply presented, that its very ordinariness is what makes Gogol’s story so extraordinary.
What are the targets of Gogol’s satire in The Overcoat?
In surface view, the story seems to be mere portrayal of hardships and pains Akaky faces; or the story’s central light is on Akaky’s character, than on bureaucratic misbehaviours. However, if we read it more closely, it appears to be a strong satire against faults of administrative systems and its staff in then Russia.
Who is the important person in The Overcoat?
An anonymous, high-ranking official in the Russian government. Akaky Akakievich appeals to him when his overcoat is stolen.
Is The Overcoat a ghost story?
Perhaps that is why, every Halloween, as ghost stories make their return, my mind often wanders to Nikolai Gogol’s “The Overcoat.” Published in 1842, it tells the story of a vengeful ghost, who in life had his overcoat stolen and now in death haunts the city of St.
Who is the important person in the overcoat?
What is the tone in the overcoat?
1 Answers. The turn sarcastic, humorous, poignant, and disturbing, Gogol’s narrator tells the story in a way that both entertains and instructs— with enough distance to provide critical commentary and yet enough dramatic intensity to draw readers in and not seem preachy.
What does The Overcoat represent in The Overcoat?
In “The Overcoat”, by Nikolay Gogol, uses symbolism throughout this entire work. He uses the old dressing gown to represent his old life, and the new overcoat to represent his new life. The symbols affect the plot and the characters. The old dressing gown represents his old life.
What type of realism is The Overcoat?
19th-century Russian realism
Gogol’s Dead Souls and “The Overcoat” are considered the foundation of 19th-century Russian realism.
How does Gogol characterize Akaky Akakievich?
Akaky Akakievich is a short man with an “unmemorable” appearance. He is somewhat educated, and not at the lowest rank of bureaucracy, but he is still very poor. Akaky lives an extremely mundane life: both in and out of his department, he spends all of his time diligently copying documents.
How did Akaky save money for the overcoat?
Answer. Answer: Akaky decides it is necessary to have the coat repaired, so he takes it to his tailor, Petrovich, who declares the coat irreparable, telling Akaky he must buy a new overcoat. Finally, with the addition of an unexpectedly large holiday salary bonus, Akaky has saved enough money to buy a new overcoat.
What is The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol about?
‘The Overcoat’ is a short story written by Nikolai Gogol in 1842. It follows protagonist Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin as he struggles with the ramifications of having a worn and ragged overcoat. Unable to have it repaired, he must have his neighbor, the tailor Petrovich, make him a new one at great personal sacrifice for Akaky.
Who is the author of the novel The Overcoat?
Russian master novelist Nikolai Gogol (1809 – 1852) published the novella, The Overcoat, in 1842. Vladimir Nabokov wrote that The Overcoat confirmed Gogol as “the greatest artist Russia has yet produced.” It has inspired other films and TV shows, and Indian-American novelist JhumpaLahiri based her bestselling work The Namesake on The Overcoat.
What is the purpose of the overcoat Gogol?
The Overcoat Summary & Analysis. His goal, to save up money in order to purchase the coat, gives him a new sense of purpose, a reason to live beyond the drudgery of his copying. Here, Gogol emphasizes the value of material goods not only for basic human survival, but also for emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
What makes “the overcoat” interesting?
A lively narrator with his comments on the events of the plot—and his digressions from it—is one factor that makes “The Overcoat” so entertaining. As in other Gogol stories such as “The Nose,” the plot combines fantastic elements with narrative simplicity in the manner of a folktale.