"The Overcoat" is a short story written by Russian author Nikolai Gogol in 1842. The story follows the life of a poor and humble clerk named Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin, who works at a government office in St. Petersburg. Akaky is a simple and unassuming man, who is often mistreated and ridiculed by his colleagues because of his shabby appearance and lack of social status.
Despite his poverty, Akaky is a hardworking and diligent employee, and he takes pride in his work as a copyist. However, he is constantly troubled by the fact that he does not have a proper overcoat to protect him from the harsh Russian winter. Akaky's old overcoat is so threadbare and worn that it barely keeps him warm, and he is constantly shivering and sneezing in the cold.
One day, Akaky finally decides that he can no longer bear the cold and decides to use his meager savings to purchase a new overcoat. He visits a tailor and orders a warm and stylish overcoat, which he is excited to wear and show off to his colleagues. However, when he finally receives the overcoat and wears it for the first time, he is shocked to find that it is much too small for him.
Despite this disappointment, Akaky is determined to wear the overcoat and makes the best of it. He is thrilled to be warm and stylish, and he feels a newfound sense of pride and confidence in himself. However, his joy is short-lived, as the overcoat is soon stolen from him on the street.
Heartbroken and humiliated, Akaky falls into a deep depression and becomes sick. He spends all of his money on doctors and medicine, but to no avail. Eventually, Akaky dies of pneumonia, brought on by his inability to afford proper medical care and the cold and damp conditions he was subjected to after the loss of his overcoat.
"The Overcoat" is a poignant and powerful tale that speaks to the harsh realities of poverty and the importance of material possessions in society. Gogol's portrayal of Akaky's struggles and triumphs is both moving and tragic, and the story serves as a reminder of the human cost of inequality and injustice.
The Overcoat âThe Overcoatâ Part 1 Summary and Analysis
Akaky, cold and distressed, returns home, where his landlady advises him to go directly to the District Police Superintendent. When he returns to his own deserted neighborhood, the differences between his class and the wealthy class become more easily visible. This helps Akaky fit in with his coworkers, but then on the way home from a party he is robbed of his coat, and soon after dies. Akakiy Aspires to a Better Life One misfortune sparing no one in St. The character of the prominent personage illustrates how these traits affect job performance and corrode morality. No matter how good his work is or how much he works, he has no hope of better pay.
The Overcoat Themes
Petrovich examines the coat and declares it is too threadbare, and that Akakiy needs a new coat, which will cost 150 rubles. His savings are added to his holiday bonus, and Petrovich creates Akaky's overcoat from scratch in two weeks. When Akakiy arrives for a meeting the prominent personage is catching up with an old friend. Once home, his landlady also advises Akakiy to go directly to the District Police Superintendent. When Akakiy imagines wearing his new coat in the evening, he looks forward to the party. Moreover, Akakiy also sounds close to the Russian word for "feces" and would have invoked that association for the reader. Even the celebration of Akakiy's coat with his coworkers is comical, as it would be rare to celebrate buying a new coat.
The Overcoat
At the same time, the coat opens up a whole new dimension of experience for Akaky: suddenly he has a social life, and goes out at night for the first time in years. He enjoys himself, gets drunk, and goes to see his German mistress, Karolina Ivanovna. The prominent personage is so terrified he almost gets sick. The most fantastic part of the story is what happens to the prominent personage. During the christening, baby Akaky grimaces, as though foreseeing the dull life ahead of him. A distressed Akakiy runs home and knocks on his landlady's door.
The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol Plot Summary
When he can't pay for a quality coffin, he doesn't seem to be worth much. Incidentally this makes the story, and Gogol in general, notoriously difficult to translate into English. Akakiy is awed by the entire scene. Akakiy neglects his appearance, and his conflict in the story is staying warm in the St. The only real emotion that lights up his grey and boring life is born when he orders a new overcoat to replace the old one. The rest of the party, however, makes him tired and uncomfortable.
