St. Petersburg The Myth and the City Essay - 646 Words

St. Petersburg: The Myth and the City In â€Å"The Nose† and â€Å"The Overcoat,† Gogol makes fun of the rank-conscious Russian society. In â€Å"The Overcoat,† he emphasizes the phony world of Russian officials, who are powerless mediators under a hierarchy in which each person fears his superior. Of the two stories, â€Å"The Nose† is lighter-hearted and more comedic. On the surface, it is a humorous story about a government official literally losing his nose and searching for it. For much of the time, Gogol makes fun at the official’s expense. In many passages much is stated comically about how stratified Russian society was at the time. Gogol skillfully portrays not just Kovalyov as being an self-important minor official, but also of Kovalyov’s†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Overcoat† is a darker tale. It is a tale of a poor official and his abnormal pride in his incredibly shabby overcoat. However, it is also a reflection of Russian society. The introductory paragraphs paints a very grim picture of life. Once, in a department†¦but better not mention which department. There is nothing touchier than departments, regiments, bureaus, in fact, any caste of officials. Things have reached the point where every individual takes an insult to himself as a slur on society as a whole†¦ And so, once, in a department, there worked an official. This official was nothing much to speak of: he was small, somewhat pockmarked, his hair was somewhat reddish and he even looked somewhat blind. Moreover, he was getting thin on top, had wrinkled cheeks and a complexion that might be aptly described as hemorrhoidal. But that’s the Petersburg climate for you. (Gogol, 115) Readers have a very specific story told through a generic setting – with this setting presented as being necessary due to the nature of the agency for which this official worked without recognition. Gogol’s humor here is much less obvious than in â€Å"The Nose.† The official is shown to have much too great a pride in his poor, worn-out overcoat, and in is his efforts to get it repaired and theShow MoreRelatedSt. Petersburg: The Myth and the City Explained in Pushkin’s â€Å"The Bronze Horseman† and Gogol’s â€Å"Nevsky Prospect†689 Words   |  3 Pages St. Petersburg: The Myth and the City Pushkin’s â€Å"The Bronze Horseman† and Gogol’s â€Å"Nevsky Prospect† allow a deeper view into the history and lifestyle of St. Petersburg. Both stories exhibit the ambivalence that exists in many aspects of St. Petersburg. â€Å"Nevsky Prospect† gives us a view of the city of St. Petersburg. The majority of the story takes place on Nevsky Prospect, which appears to be a central place in St. Petersburg. This location gives readers insight into the daily lives and differentRead MoreNaming Famous Places1014 Words   |  4 Pagesof place-names? 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