The image of St. Petersburg in the story "The Overcoat". N. V. Gogol, "Overcoat"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

N. V. Gogol is perhaps the most enigmatic writer of the 19th century. His works of mystical content are sometimes excitingly interesting, sometimes frightening. Even in realistic novels and stories, the writer skillfully weaves a fantastic element. A vivid example of such a combination is the St. Petersburg stories. It would not be wrong to say that the image of St. Petersburg is central to them. In the story "The Overcoat" the writer describes in detail the streets of this city, its inhabitants. In his interpretation of this city, Gogol approaches Dostoevsky's tradition, exposing all the negative aspects of St. Petersburg.

N. V. Gogol "Overcoat": main character, content

The main character of the story is Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin. He is a titular adviser, beaten down and intimidated by his superiors and colleagues. Gogol dwells in detail on how Bashmachkin was born, how his name was chosen. Since the father was Akaki, then the son will be him. His parents knew in advance that he would become a titular adviser. Such predestination emphasizes the fact that Akaky Akakievich is a small person who cannot influence his own life or others in any way.of people. Colleagues brutally mock him, throw papers on his head, but he cannot say anything.

The main theme of the story "The Overcoat" is the replacement of everything spiritual in a person with material. Even the name of the hero indicates this. Akaky Akakievich is obsessed with repairing his overcoat, but the tailor refuses him. Then the hero decides to save money for a new one. And now his dream has come true. In a new overcoat, he was finally noticed, even invited to visit one head of the clerk. Finally, Akaky Akakievich felt full. But on the way back, his new robe was torn off. At that moment, it seemed to him that they were not taking off his clothes, but part of him. Heartbroken, the hero decides to go to the "significant person", but he yells at him. After this incident, Bashmachkin's he alth deteriorates, he sees strange visions. As a result, the hero dies. And a ghost roams the streets of the city, which rips off the overcoats from passers-by.

Petersburg in the story

The image of Petersburg in the story "The Overcoat" is very significant not only for understanding the work itself, but also in order to understand the idea of the entire cycle of "Petersburg Tales". The city on the pages of the story is phantasmagorical and unnatural. It looks like a ghost town. In such an environment, a full-fledged life of people is impossible, only an aimless and useless existence is possible. Gogol describes the entrances and houses of St. Petersburg, dwelling in particular detail on a strange, pungent smell. The image of Petersburg instory "The Overcoat" is close to how it is presented in the novel "Crime and Punishment". Dostoyevsky also writes about the "stink" characteristic of Peter. However, Dostoevsky does not have a mystical element in his description.

City hostility motif

From the very beginning, there is a feeling that the city wants to expel people, it rejects them. But not everyone. First of all, such as Akaky Akakievich suffer. The enemy of all officials with meager salaries is the Petersburg frost. Cold in the story also symbolizes the space of death, primarily spiritual. After all, neither the people surrounding Bashmachkin, nor he himself has any other interests, except for things.

The urban landscape is described in detail when Bashmachkin goes to the tailor to fix his overcoat. The front porches of the rich contrast with the smelly, dirty black steps of the houses of the poor. The hero himself is lost in the crowded Petersburg, he does not have his own face. From this point of view, the portrait description of the protagonist, which is given at the very beginning of the story, is important. He is not tall or short, his face is neither thin nor fat, that is, the author does not mention anything specific, thereby showing that the hero does not have any distinctive features, he is faceless, because of this, he practically does not cause sympathy.

Living Petersburg

Incarnation is another technique used by N. V. Gogol. "The Overcoat" is rightfully considered the central story in the cycle, because it is here (as in"Nevsky Prospekt") the city seems to become the main character. After the death of the hero, "Petersburg was left without Akakievich." But surprisingly, no one noticed. A creature that no one wanted was missing.

But in the city, in relation to which Gogol uses the same words as for a living creature, not people go, but collars, overcoats, frock coats. The motif of materiality is important for all the stories of this cycle.

The function of the urban landscape in the story

The image of St. Petersburg first appears on the pages of Gogol's prose in the story "The Night Before Christmas". From the very beginning, the city became a space opposed to Ukraine, or, to be more precise, to Dikanka. Already here, Petersburg is a living city, staring at the hero with the fiery eyes of houses. Over the years of his life in St. Petersburg, Gogol more and more clearly began to distinguish behind the splendor and beauty of the palaces the inhumanity, greed and predatory nature of the people inhabiting it.

The main idea of the story "The Overcoat" is closely connected with the description of the urban landscape. Gogol exposed the social contrasts of this city, raised the topic of humiliated and insulted, suffering disenfranchised people. He heard an anecdote about a poor official from his acquaintances, the story deeply sunk into the soul of the writer, and he decided to create a work that reflected all his compassion for a small man like Bashmachkin.

Author's assessment in the story

Despite all compassion, Gogol's story "The Overcoat" is ironic. The author makes his character miserable. After all, he is not just kind, calm, gentleand spineless, he's pathetic. He can not oppose anything to his colleagues, he is afraid of the authorities. In addition, he also can not do anything except rewrite. A higher position - to rewrite, making corrections - Akaky Akakievich does not like it, he rejects it. By this, Gogol shows that the hero himself does not particularly strive to get out of his humiliated state. With obvious sarcasm, the author talks about how Bashmachkin is obsessed with the idea of acquiring an overcoat, as if this is not a thing, but the goal of his whole life. What kind of life is this, in which the main idea is to buy an overcoat?

Lack of spirituality in the story

Perhaps, this is the main motif to which all the threads of the story come down, including the image of St. Petersburg. In the story "The Overcoat" the lack of spirituality of the protagonist clearly and clearly comes through. He cannot even speak normally, he expresses himself with some prepositions and interjections, which emphasizes the absence of reason and soul in him. He is so absorbed in the idea of acquiring an overcoat that it is she who becomes his idol. Akaky Akakiyevich's colleagues are cruel, incapable of compassion. The authorities revel in their power and are ready to tear anyone for disobedience. And in place of Bashmachkin, a new titular adviser is arranged, about which Gogol only says that his handwriting is higher and more oblique.

Conclusions

Thus, Gogol's story "The Overcoat" is a vivid example of a grotesque phantasmagoric work with a fantastic element. Moreover, mysticism is associated not only with the appearance at the end of the workghosts, but also by the city itself, which rejects people, it is hostile. Petersburg in the story "The Overcoat" is intended to show the author's assessment, and also helps to understand the main idea of the work. It is thanks to the description of the urban landscape that the reader understands all the cruelty, inhumanity, soullessness of the environment in which there are such pathetic people as Akaky Akievich Bashmachkin.